Dear BWF, Let's Learn Fair Play To Ahsan And Hendra

Ahsan/Hendra (Photo: PBSI)

JAKARTA - Sports, whatever the branch, must prioritize the spirit of fair play. This is what the Indonesian men's doubles pair Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan did at All England 2021 before the Indonesian team was forced to withdraw from the prestigious badminton event.

In the first and last match of The Daddies in All England 2021 against the host's representative, Ben Lane/Sean Vendy, there was one moment where Ahsan suddenly caught it. Ahsan didn't hit him on purpose because he was aware of a 'double hit' or a double hit. It was 9-9 in the second set.

In doubles, whether male, female or mixed, only a player is allowed to accept or touch the shuttle. If both players touch it is considered against the rules and points are awarded to the opponent.

Ahsan realized that and he caught the shuttle instead of hitting it and returning it to the opponent. At that time, the referee didn't notice.

This is not the first time Ahsan/Hendra have shown fair play on the field. Once this happened, the referee thought why he was in, even though Ahsan/Hendra were sure it was out. So The Daddies does not hesitate to 'turn off' so that their opponents get points. Even though the opposing player was late asking for a challenge.

Not many players can understand the meaning of the word 'fair play' like Ahsan/Hendra. Yes, sportsmanship on the field. Compete in a fair manner, without harming your opponent.

And now, Indonesia is instead receiving unfair treatment from BWF and All England. They forced the Garuda team to withdraw from the oldest badminton tournament in the world because it was considered an airplane with an anonymous passenger who tested positive for COVID-19.

There are many irregularities in the decisions made by BWF. They are not sporting enough and are inconsistent in implementing the rules.

Their inability to learn fair play from Ahsan/Hendra resulted in one of the easiest methods: hiding behind the British Government's health protocol regulations. How worried are they?