Shock as UK Sport set to strip funding

Former Olympic badminton silver medallist Gail Emms has reacted with surprise to the news that her sport is one of five to be stripped of funding by UK Sport in the run-up to Tokyo 2020.

Badminton is the only sport to have its funding removed despite winning a medal in Rio, when Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge claimed a surprise bronze in the men’s doubles competition.

Emms, who won silver in Athens in 2004 with mixeddoubles partner Nathan Robertson and went on to win the world title in Madrid two years later, said she did not understand how the performance in Rio could cause funding to be withdrawn.

Emms told Press Association Sport: “My initial reaction is, ‘hang on a sec, we’ve won an Olympic medal’ – you’d think that if you go out there and win an Olympic medal it guarantees some funding.

“I think badminton deserves some explanation and I’m sure they will appeal against the decision.

“We’re not asking for 27 or 30 million like some sports.

“We not asking for anything near that, and if I was one of those guys who went out there and came back with a medal, I’d be fuming.”

Emms, 39, who is on the GB Badminton board, said she now fears for Great Britain’s hopes of maintaining its position among the global elite.

She added: “You’ve got Chris and Gabrielle Adcock who are eighth in the world in mixed doubles and Rajiv Ouseph who is in the world top 20 in the men’s rankings.

“It’s not like we haven’t got anyone up there.

“Even a funding cut would have been something to get used to, but to have it all taken away is incredible and I just can’t see what the reasoning is behind it.”