Copenhagen: World No. 4 Viktor Axelsen who became the first Dane to win the All England title in 21 years after defeating Taiwan’s top seed Chou Tien Chen 21-13, 21-14 in the men’s singles final two weeks ago, received a €250 Euro fine from Badminton World Federation (BWF).
According to BWF, Axelsen who was wearing a white jersey similar to his opponent during the final, had breached the BWF Statutes, Section 5.3.7 – GCR Clothing Regulations, which stated that it was mandatory for “the opposing player to wear significantly different colors from each other”.
Chou was the No. 1 seed at the 2020 All England, therefore, he had the prerogative of choosing his preferred color. When he chose to wear white jersey in the final, Axelsen was supposed to choose a different color jersey, instead, Axelsen was also wearing a white jersey but with a different design.
“I was wearing a white jersey throughout the tournament and I know how important this color was to my sponsors,” explained Axelsen to TV2 Sport in Denmark.
“I think this regulation was a bit ridiculous, and I couldn’t find the reason why I should be fined. People sitting at home watching the live broadcast could clearly distinguish who we were,” said Axelsen.
Axelsen also suggested that the All England should be made a little bit special.
“I think all players should be in white, just like Wimbledon (tennis). It looks good and it’s cool,” added Axelsen.
One thing for sure, the €250 Euro fine was just a drop in the bucket for Axelsen as he pocketed US$77,000 by becoming the All England champion.
