Jwala against 'skirt rule' being made mandatory

The new BWF rule which makes wearing skirts on court mandatory for female shuttlers from May 1 is something that the Indian eves are finding it a bit uncomfortable.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) in 2009 had introduced a new dress code, which requires all female shuttlers to wear skirts. Players may continue to wear shorts if they wish to but it has to be underneath a skirt.

India's most successful doubles player Jwala Gutta, who prefers playing in skirts, said though she is all for boosting the glamour quotient, wearing skirts should not be mandatory as it might affect a player's freedom.

"I have always been comfortable in skirts but forcing players to wear them is not right. A player can wear a skirt if she is comfortable but making it mandatory is not right," Jwala said.

"Players come from different background and different countries, some of the countries are pretty conservative and have different culture, so some players might not like the idea," she added.

However, the 27-year-old Hyderabadi, who won the Commonwealth Games gold with Ashwini Ponnappa, says although he wants that glamour quotient should be upped but it can be done differently.

"In tennis, the outfit of the female stars are always talked about and perhaps that is one of the many reasons behind the popularity of the sport. Even in badminton, the sponsors such as Yonex and Ling In can come out with designer on-court outfits," she said.

Many Indian shuttlers, including world number three Saina Nehwal, who starts as the top seed at the Indian Open next week, prefers wearing shorts on court. Saina though said she has no problems wearing skirts.

"I think I love it, I enjoyed my days when I wore shorts and I would enjoy my skirts too. No problems," Saina had said when she was asked about the new BWF rule after the first round of the All England Super Series.

The new rule was BWF's bid to boost the sport's profile among viewers and sponsors but not every one is happy with the changes.