KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- The draw date for the Beijing Olympic Games (BWF) badminton competition has been brought forward to July 26 from Aug 4 to ensure better scheduling of television broadcast of the events. Badminton World Federation (BWF) secretary-general Stuart Borrie said the draw, which would be held at Henan Plaza Hotel in Bejing, would start at 4pm local time and live updates would be avaiable on the BWF website.
"Badminton will be one of the last sports to have finalised its draws for the Olympic Games and this is a welcome news for broadcasters who have been pressuring the Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee (BOCOG) for earlier information on the schedule of play for Day One," he said in a statement here Monday.
Borrie said that previously the draw was slated for Aug 4, just five days before the start of the competition and this had been an issue for television broadcasters and rights holders who wanted to schedule badminton broadcast times and matches and secure satellite space for Day One on Aug 9.
He said a four-member panel comprising Dr Kang Young Joong (BWF president), Dennis Li (Beijing 2008 referee), Paisan Rangsikitpho (BWF technical delegate) and Torsten Berg (chairman technical commission) would oversee the draw process.
To date players from 50 countries have qualified to compete in the Beijing Olympic badminton competition.