Despite winning Group III and progressing to Group II of the Sudirman Cup, India's promotion would become null and void after the Badminton World Federation, on Saturday, decided to change the format for the mixed team tournament in 2011.
A BWF meeting in Guangzhou decided to change the format for the next edition.
Under the current format, the teams are divided into four groups and only the eight teams in the top tier play for the championship. The teams in the lower groups fight for promotion and relegation.
The BWF decided to change the format after many countries felt that the climb from the bottom tier to the top was difficult. The details of the new format are expected to come out in November.
Sources confirmed that the current group system would give way to a knockout style draw and the standings in the current edition would have no bearing in deciding the seedings of the teams in 2011. Instead, the seedings would be decided on the world rankings of the individual players.
National coach Pullela Gopichand welcomed BWF's decision. “In the current format, despite being capable of being in the top 10 teams, we were fighting in Group III. The new format would look to address the discrepancy and its good for us.”
{{/usCountry}}National coach Pullela Gopichand welcomed BWF's decision. “In the current format, despite being capable of being in the top 10 teams, we were fighting in Group III. The new format would look to address the discrepancy and its good for us.”
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