Badminton: How China's changing food habits has forced a shuttlecock crisis
Secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), Sanjay Mishra, confirmed to India Today that the shortage is real, and surprisingly, it has its roots in China's changing food preferences.The world's most populous country is seeing a significant shift in dietary habits. The Chinese population is now favouring pork over what used to be traditional delicacies — duck and goose. This shift has led to a sharp drop in duck and goose consumption, and in turn, fewer birds are being reared by farmers.Since shuttlecock feathers are a byproduct of poultry processing, mostly duck feathers for regular shuttles and goose feathers for elite ones, the supply chain has taken a massive hit.'Goose feathers are what the best shuttles are made of,' Mishra explained. 'Yonex is based in Japan, but their entire shuttle manufacturing happens in China. And people in China have reduced eating goose and duck — that's why the manufacturers are not getting any feathers.'It takes 16 feathers to make a single shuttlecock, and the issue is compounded by the fact that they wear out quickly. A standard singles match might use up nearly two dozen shuttles.Shuttles Impacting Global BadmintonThe impact isn't limited to India. Mishra said the issue is affecting countries like France, Denmark and others across Europe.'I spoke to Yonex representatives a couple of days back. They said they would send the next lot after August 20,' he said. 'But they also said that they simply can't keep up with the demand any more.'A report in French newspaper L'quipe mirrored the concern. The publication pointed out that Chinese farmers are unlikely to rear ducks or geese just for their feathers as it is simply not viable for them, especially with pork offering far better returns.What is the Solution?Mishra revealed that the Badminton Association of India has already taken up the matter with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), asking them to explore alternatives.advertisement'We spoke to BWF about this in a meeting. They had experimented with artificial feather shuttles some time back, but those had issues with accuracy and made too much noise. So, they dropped the idea. But now, they'll have to revisit it. The game is growing, and the shuttle issue will only get worse.'Big manufacturers like Yonex and Li-Ning are already working on hybrid shuttlecock models — alternatives that do not rely on animal feathers. The French badminton federation's president, Franck Laurent, believes the transition is inevitable.'Manufacturers are developing hybrid shuttlecocks, which are quite technical. But this option is not viable today — they're still too expensive,' Laurent told L'quipe. 'In a few years, I think everyone will switch to them.'However, as of now, there is no immediate way out.'The feather shuttlecock, with its particular trajectories, remains the most spectacular version. We need a solution that can mimic the sensations. For the moment, this is not the case,' he concluded.For now, shuttles are going to get rarer, and more expensive. While the search for alternatives continues, associations, players, and manufacturers are left hoping that a solution arrives before the sport reaches a breaking point.- EndsMust Watch
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