The Badminton World Federation has reversed a decision making it mandatory for female shuttlers to wear skirts in an effort to raise the profile of the sport. China--that leader in human rights-- led the world-wide outcry, along with other major badminton countries, calling the original ruling sexist and unfair and sparked the BWF to bow to the howls of protests.
The sport has been an Olympic event since 1992 and is one of the most popular activities in the world besides men looking at sexy women.
The controversial ruling which proposed making it compulsory for women to wear only skirts instead of shorts or tights was initiated to get more people (i.e. men) interested in watching the sport. Look at what the hotties from the Danish and Swedish curling teams did for that sport in the last Winter Games.
It could be that the marketing men for the BWF weren't thinking with shuttlecocks in mind.
The BWF (shouldn't it be called the World Badminton Federation anyway) Deputy-President, American Paisan Rangsikitpho, explained the importance of forcing girls as young as thirteen wear skirts to draw more leering eyes to the sport.
"We just want women to look feminine and have a nice presentation so they'll be more popular," he said.
