A research study published in the International Journal of Racket Sports has suggested that “sliding benchmarks” might help identify talent in cases of players who do not conform to traditional standards of athletic development.
The study, conducted by faculty from universities of five countries (Belgium, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Netherlands) referred to a common problem in talent identification at younger ages – of younger and less mature players being disadvantaged. It therefore highlighted a case of 33 players invited to compete for Malaysia in the under 13 age group. Although younger and less mature players were disadvantaged due to their morphology, fitness and motor capabilities being less developed than their peers, when a “sliding benchmark” was applied, six players who remained after the rest dropped out achieved exceptional results later on, with two even winning the BWF World Junior Championships
The study states: “As a result of the sliding benchmark intervention, two relatively younger, late maturers with superior motor competence scores, were selected to the elite sport school. Without this intervention, both players might never have won the BWF Junior World Championships. This paper examines the pathway of these competitive badminton athletes and discusses the potential value of applying a sliding benchmark intervention in competitive sport selection settings.”
For this year’s funding cycle for the BWF Research Grants Programme, BWF was particularly interested in research focusing on the following areas:
▸ Badminton performance, player development and coaching.
▸ Physical activity, mental wellbeing and overall health.
▸ Injury prevention strategies and medical research.
▸ Para badminton and inclusive badminton.
▸ Organisational performance and National Federation development.
In total, BWF received 110 applications, of which 32 have been shortlisted for more thorough assessment.
