USA Badminton back in good standing after safe-sport issues

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — USA Badminton is off probation. It received a reprieve from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which had been looking to decertify the organization because of noncompliance with a number of requirements designed to protect athletes from sex abuse.

The badminton federation sent out a letter to its members Friday saying it is “pleased that the USOPC recognizes the progress that has been made so far and is committed to working with them on an ongoing basis.”

The USOPC moved to decertify USA Badminton last November, when CEO Sarah Hirshalnd explained in a letter “we simply must hold organizations accountable if they can’t meet our standards.”

The USOPC introduced a number of governance reforms last year to improve its own handling of sex-abuse cases. They included increasing oversight of the 50 national governing bodies that oversee Olympic sports in the U.S.