The BBC reports the Badminton World Federation has opposed staging London 2012 badminton at Wembley Arena because it’s too far from the east London Olympic site.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a plan last week to hold the badminton events at the arena, but the federation said it did not want the sport to be in a “stand alone” west London venue, saying, “we are of the opinion that this will affect the Olympic experience for players and spectators”.
Locog Chairman Sebastian Coe talked about the change saying, “it’s a combination of cost – everyone recognizes the world has changed dramatically since when we bid – but it’s also about legacy and athlete experience”.
But Badminton World Federation (BWF) president Dr. Kang Young Joong said, “the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of sporting achievement and the BWF owes our athletes and its members the responsibility to showcase badminton to the media and the world in the best possible way”.
The BWF reportedly said it would “vigorously engage” in venue negotiations with the IOC and hoped to find a solution at its next board meeting in March.
