Badminton
World Federation (BWF) has approved synthetic feather shuttlecocks for its
international tournaments from next year as it bids to cut down on waste. The governing body said it collaborated with Japanese
sports equipment manufacturer Yonex to develop the synthetic version, which was
used at three BWF-sanctioned international tournaments last year.
"Feedback indicated that the Yonex synthetic feather
shuttle was more durable and economical compared to a traditional natural
feathered shuttle, whilst at the same time providing a very similar flight and
performance, the synthetic feather shuttle could reduce shuttlecock usage up to
25%, providing a significant environmental and economic edge for badminton
going forward."
Elite
shuttlers involved in the testing quickly adjusted to the variance, BWF
Secretary General Thomas Lund said.
"The vision is to ensure the long-term sustainability
of badminton and become less dependent of using natural feathers for
shuttlecocks," Lund added.
BWF said it was updating technical guidelines and that
manufacturers could seek approval for their versions of synthetic feather
shuttlecocks to be used in international competitions.
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| Yonex Co., Ltd. |
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| The Badminton World Federation |
