No Kiwi shuttlers to London

Badminton New Zealand announced today that they would be nominating neither Michelle Chan nor James Eunson for Olympic participation in 2012.  While both had been declared eligible by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), according to the world body’s qualification rules, the New Zealand Olympic Committee had been requiring their players to achieve a world top 24 ranking and a R16 finish at the Superseries or World Championships.

Michelle Chan was ranked world #46 in the May 3rd rankings, which the BWF used to determine Olympic eligibility, and this made her the 28th of 38 players chosen.  Eunson, meanwhile, was ranked 121st in the world but this and his title at the Badminton Oceania Championships in February gave him the continental spot for Oceania.

“Badminton New Zealand commends both Michelle and James for their hard work and recognises their commitment to the sport. Much of their efforts have been at their own cost and we understand how disappointed the athletes must be,” wrote Badminton New Zealand Chief Executive Nicki Martin in a statement on the topic.