Lin slams BWF moves to change scoring system

Lin returns a shot in a game at the Thomas Cup team championships.

Chinese great Lin Dan is opposed to a change in the points system being contemplated by the world federation in a bid to make the sport more attractive.

"I feel changing the points system frequently is not good for the game," Lin said on the sidelines of the Thomas & Uber Cup team championships being played at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi yesterday. "There does not seem to be anything wrong with the system."

Scoring has most recently been changed in 2002 and 2006. Since then, a match is best-of-3 games up to 21 points each.

But the BWF is keen to up "the intensity and excitement," while reducing the length of matches, and has proposed discussing alternative scoring at a forum in the Indian capital tomorrow.

The federation has offered three options: Two games up to 21 points with another to 11; three games up to 15 points; or five games up to nine points.

Lin, arguably the greatest player of all time with five world, two Olympic and five all-England titles under his belt, said a change will lead to confusion among players and fans.

"I don't like it. I don't think making changes like this is good for the game," he said.

The BWF plans to trial the selected format at small tournaments and seek feedback from various stakeholders before it is introduced at major events like the world championships or the Olympics.

Lin went into semi-retirement after winning his second Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games. He took nearly a year off before returning to win his fifth world title last year, then didn't appear for another eight months until last month, when he won the China Masters and Asian championship.

This week, he's trying to help China win a record sixth straight Thomas Cup. China has topped its group. Lin wouldn't commit yesterday to saying if he will enter the world championships in August, or Asian Games in September, but hinted he will play more this year.

"Success is not judged by just success in a particular championship. As of now, I want to focus on this weekend. I just want to play my game," Lin, known as ‘Super Dan', said.

His inactivity has dropped him to 58th in the rankings. "I'd like to finish in the top eight by the end of this year," he said.