Controversy Surrounds BWF Deputy President Datuk Punch Gunalan

Apparently Badminton World Federation Emperor, I mean Deputy President Datuk Punch Gunalan is in some more hot water over the release of a three year old letter where he was allegedly trying to convince the BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia) President that Malaysia should bid on getting the BWF head office, and that Gunalan’s knowledge of the other bids would allow them to do so. Here is an excerpt from a story by Sportcal on the issue

“The allegations surfaced at a dramatic BWF annual general meeting held in Glasgow last weekend, when the organisation’s president, Kang Young Joong was handed a three-year-old letter apparently implicating Punch in using his position at the international federation to pass on to the Badminton Association of Malaysia confidential information relating to rival bids to attract the international federation’s headquarters.

In a surprise move, the letter, written by Punch and addressed to the BAM’s president, was read out publicly at the AGM by Joong. It included the allegedly incriminating statement: ‘Since I am able to get all the necessary information regarding the other bids, it is important that our bid is better than any of the others.’”

This definitely looks fishy to me. I have to say that I do agree with the majority of the changes that have been made to badminton in the past couple years, from the scoring system to the Super Series structure. However, the way that Gunalan has gone about it has allows wreaked of sneaky tactics. We’ll see what comes out of this, but I don’t think Gunalan is going to come out unscathed. I wonder if the suspension of the BWF Chief Operating Officer is connected to this in any way? I wonder what impact a potential inquiry will have on the Badminton World Federation’s leadership? Anyway, here is an interview with the man Gunalan himself from the World Badminton Championships in Madrid this past September.