I want to devote a few lines to the remarkable news which we got last week. 2 Players, both 26 years of age, put an end to their international badminton career. Oliver Roth from Germany will be a dad soon and he quits after a relatively short “career”’. I wish “Olli” all the best in his life to come. He is a very sympathetic guy and it is for sure that he will be missed on tour.
It was known for quite a while that Oliver Roth would stop but Jennifer Wallwork’s parting was a complete surprise. In an open statement she wrote that she feels to be undervalued by the Technical Staff and to have no voice or direction in the way her career is going. ”It’s the career of the athlete, not the one of the performance director”. she says. In my view she is somewhat right . Of course coaches, Technical Directors and other officials should make plans for the players and formulate policies in the overall interest of the sport but when elite players are not happy it should be tried to find a solution which is acceptable for both stakeholders. A player who is no longer enjoying his or her sport cannot be in balance, neither physically nor mentally, will reluctantly join trainings and will consequently not make any progress anymore. Under such circumstances the playing of high level matches is certainly no longer an option. How can you perform if you don’t get a firm base from your training? It is a sad decision she has made which I tend to understand but which I deeply respect. You are and will always be the director of your own career and that requires painful decisions now and than!
Naturally I wish Jenny all the best for the future and at the same time I hope that GB Badminton realizes that they have lost another (after Imogen) very talented and experienced player. What a pity!!