Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2007-06-13 From: Xinhuanet

JAKARTA, June 13 (Xinhua) — Indonesian top shuttler Taufik Hidayat has urged the development of an instant replay system for major badminton events to review a disputed umpire decision, local press said Wednesday.

He renewed his call following protest from Park Sung-hwan of South Korea against an umpire decision regarding the scores in the match against Taufik Tuesday in the world mixed group championship Sudirman Cup.

The score was 6-4 in the first game when Taufik smashed and scored. But the screen showed the score as 8-4, before changing to9-4.

Park challenged the score but there was no replay to show what had happened. The referee, Michaela Bencova, using a touch-pad computer to keep score, did not acknowledge protests from the Korean’s coaches.

“It was awkward,” Taufik, who last year had suggested the adoption of instant replay in badminton, was quoted by English daily The Jakarta Post as saying.

“I was also shocked to see that the score had changed. Park asked me if it should had been seven, and I nodded, but the referee didn’t listen.”

Park’s protests cost him a yellow card as Taufik won the match 21-12, 24-22.

“I have commented many times that having an instant replay system, as they do in tennis, is important for badminton. I said it in Hong Kong last year and repeated it again in Madrid,” said the Olympic champion.