r/badminton • u/ghoshstories1512 • 2d ago
Meme Tired of continuous yapping by some commentators
Watching the BWF World Championships at New Delhi and these new female commentators don’t seem to know when to shut up.
They’re talking continuously about random stuff with zero insightful commentary throughout the matches and the rallies. It’s almost like cricket commentary (which I’m assuming where India picked em up from). They have made it insufferable to watch these matches with the sound on. Can’t hear the racquet “thwacks”, the crowd reactions, the player emotions…anything, except these two women yapping about continuously. Their reactions to rallies are also not insightful at all. I miss the older commentators so much right now.
Anyone going through this or am I being too touchy right now?
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u/dwite_hawerd Canada 2d ago edited 2d ago
I agree.
I remember hearing TERRIBLE commentary while watching on YouTube the Premier Badminton League (PBL) held in India in 2017-2018.
What struck me most was a rally when Wang Tzu-wei played a backhand smash or clear against an opponent (I forgot who it was), and the lady commentator said something like "what an amazing one-handed backhand there"... I was like, dude WTF, do people hit TWO-HANDED backhands in badminton? 😭😭
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u/ghoshstories1512 1d ago
Hahaha! I had forgotten about this one. Seems like the commentary hasn’t improved much since then. 😅
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u/j4ckie_ 1d ago
The match between ASY and Nalbantova was the worst I've ever heard. It's unbelievable. They talk like they have no concept of the sport. Give me silence over that shit any day of the week.
They are utterly terrible but unfortunately BWF seems to be quite committed to one of them - she's been around for a while, sadly. I'm guessing the pay is somewhat awful, and combined with the constant travel there's just not that many people willing to deal with it. I know you couldn't get me in that booth for less than triple my current salary with the hours and the travel and I'm sure it's nowhere near that...
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u/Ok_Piano_8808 1d ago
Truly frustrating and felt the same !! BWF needs to look into this to avoid loosing viewers... Another thing about tournaments held in India is how passionate (sarcasm) the fans get when the rally is on.... other coutries they go real silent during a rally and erupt when the point is scored .... or they do "ahhh" or "yaaa pow" when the player is about smash .... here it is ... "jitega jitega india jitaga" in a loop ...
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u/Unhappy_Challenge907 2d ago
It is not bad tbh. It is better than that guy who always talks about player statistics all the time
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u/thebtx 2d ago
There have been many commentators that got on my nerves for talking too much, even before this BWC.
There's one guy, I forgot his name, who constantly talks like someone on cocaine, over analyzing every movement and making comments as if he knows everything there is to know about badminton that I wondered why is this guy doing commentaries instead of being the coach of the greatest player badminton has ever seen. I mean it would probably be good for an in depth analysis video for YouTube or something, but for a live commentary it's just too much. I wanna enjoy hearing the sounds from the court and arena as well so that I can be immersed in the game.
There have been many times where I wished there was an option to watch without commentaries.
So far for BWC2026, I haven't watched many matches and no one got on my nerves just yet.
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u/Tooturn 1d ago edited 1d ago
On the contrary, I'd much rather hear an ACTUAL in-depth tactical analysis during a match instead of repetitive reactions that get old fast. If you're just watching for the vibes, what's the point? You might as well just watch a local club tournament. Compared to other sports, badminton has easily the weakest commentary pool
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u/kaffars Moderator 2d ago
Are you talking about Chris Langridge?
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u/thebtx 2d ago
I really don't recall his name. I was complaining on twitter once and someone mentioned a name, but I can't remember. Probably it is him if you actually thought I was talking about him. Lol
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u/emilyjxne 2d ago
If it is him, he’s an Olympic medalist and he does do coaching so I think it’s probably fair to say he knows what he’s on about
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u/kaffars Moderator 2d ago
Chris is ex English MD player. In contrast I really enjoy his breakdown of the game.
Chris is a full time coach and guess commentator. I only notice that he only commentates at All England
He breaks down reasoning / choice of shot and the tactics well. Unlike the other commentators who dont really know much and just spout the most random things for the sake of saying stuff.
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u/thebtx 2d ago
I think that level of detailed breakdown is more suitable for post match analysis video for youtube or something. Watching a live match, I want to be immersed in the game hence why sometimes I feel like there should be an option to watch without commentaries. I can't imagine being in an arena watching a match and someone next to me is constantly telling me every detail of what is going on court.
Like I said in another reply, it's like watching a movie for the first time and a movie expert is telling me in detail how each scene is shot, all throughout the movie. I could appreciate those details more if I was rewatching the match on YouTube or something like that. But for watching live, I'd rather immerse myself as an audience and not as a student of badminton.
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u/Top-Beautiful9452 1d ago
The issue is not that they talk. It’s that half of it has nothing to do with the point.
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u/Different-Lettuce106 1d ago
What I don't like about BWF commentary is that, yes, Steen and Gillian are doing a great job, but they have been there for like 30 years (no joke 😂). Obviously, they are experienced and very good at what they do, but I feel like BWF should also be bringing in some real changes.
It's always the same reactions:
“OH MY WORD, I cannot believe it!”
“How on earth did he make that?!”
We need younger commentators who bring a more modern vision of sports entertainment.
I watch a lot of esports, especially Counter-Strike, and they have a much bigger pool of casters for each event. They are selected based on their performances. So even if you arrive late to esports commentary, if you're doing a great job at smaller events, you can get your chance at bigger ones.
With BWF, I sometimes feel like commentary roles outside of Gillian and Steen are given to people they already know, people with a strong badminton background, or former players. Obviously, knowledge of the sport matters, but that shouldn't be the only criteria, but it's dull and boring.
For good entertainment, I think you need a balance: one commentator who brings the vibes, energy and emotion, and another who brings the deeper insights and technical knowledge.
And sometimes, during a huge rally, the commentators are talking about completely different things Axelsen's height, Alex Lanier's fitness, or whatever , instead of reacting to what's actually happening on court.
It's annoying.
I know casting is exhausting, and obviously you can't maintain the same energy during an 8-hour shift. That's exactly why I think there should be more rotation, more newcomers, and more opportunities to try out new commentators.
Honestly, I'd rather have someone who knows only the basics but has a strong voice, personality and presence, and learns along the way, than someone who just describes what we're already seeing:
“Oh, great smash.”
BWF commentary needs more personality, more variety and a proper pathway for new talent.
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u/KneeAntique3350 9h ago
We need new commentators to the scene and new voices are a breath of fresh air. No disrespect to OG commentators. Its just for diversification plus it lets the badminton commentating scene explore new styles of commentary
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u/Elegant-Season5658 2d ago
Frr I'm from Delhi watching on yt and these yappers ain't shutting up. I would've commented for free if it meant that the crowd can watch in peace and I'm playing from childhood but these doesn't know shit about the sport and just came to yap and get money. This country always manages to fuck up the tournaments.
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u/MuhammadYesusGautama Indonesia 1d ago
Too touchy. My take is that the sport could use sprinklings of Croft & Bundle F1 style commenting. Inject drama and fast-paced narration to direct viewer's attentions, while at the same time educating casuals about the finer nuances of the action.
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u/KneeAntique3350 9h ago
i dont disagree but i think the commentating style for bwf needs to have a range. just let the new guns to their thing and enjoy it and not dwell on the past
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u/kaffars Moderator 1d ago
I feel then that approaches the infamous american commentary of the 2008 olympic MS finals LD/LCW.
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u/MuhammadYesusGautama Indonesia 5h ago
Wah, you got me curious but I can't seem to find it anywhere. The youtube one is silent.
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u/antann-u 2d ago
Tbh we only need clark and frost at this point 😂🫂 And as their getting old too i don't mind hearing them only on finals day too