'Let's have the men bare-chested!'

“Please make sure that you don’t raise the ‘skirt rule’ controversy in front of Judy,” is the warning issued before talking to Judy Hashman, the 17-time All England champion. But even if you try to comply, the living legend brings up the issue herself.

“Please make sure that you don’t raise the ‘skirt rule’ controversy in front of Judy,” is the warning issued before talking to Judy Hashman, the 17-time All England champion. But even if you try to comply, the living legend brings up the issue herself.

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“Skirts, it’s the most frivolous and silly thing I have ever heard,” she said. “Would you find a sweaty and tired player glamorous? If yes, then might as well tell men to play bare-chested! You need to popularise the sport and not glamorise it.”

It’s not just the skirts that invite her ire. Hashman feels that a lot has changed in the sport but not for the better. “The equipment has improved but the sport has deteriorated. A lot of shots have vanished from the sport. I vividly remember how I feared the Asians only because of the way they moved their wrist so I would try and keep them away from the net. The Indians, in particular were magnificent with their wrist shots. But now, it’s become a rarity.”

Before leaving the Sirifort arena, the champion turns around and asks, “I heard this stadium had not been in use since the Games last year. It’s a state-of-the-art stadium. Please make the most of it if you want to produce quality shuttlers.”