“If we don’t have the funding for all of this we basically go all the way back to the start, where players will have to find jobs and do badminton part-time.
“We will not be able to say, hand on heart, that if we get a player to the Tokyo Olympics they will be in the best shape they could possibly be in. You feel like we’re just going back to being a hobby sport again.”
For Langridge, whose doubles pairing alongside Ellis was ranked world No 22 before unexpectedly winning a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, the decision could determine whether he is able to replicate the feat at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“We would really, really, really like to win another medal in Tokyo and without the financial support it’s so hard,” he said. “There’s basic things that people might forget about. We need shuttles to play with and a court to play on. These things are expensive.
