Did you catch the BWF AirBadminton Asia Pacific Continental Championships 2025 at Port Dickson, Malaysia over the weekend? If you haven’t, we suggest you do!

It was perhaps the best glimpse yet that AirBadminton is here to stay. The incredibly high standard of performance a clear indication of the growing interest in the game.

We had players of all ages and backgrounds representing their teams. For China, Korea and Japan, it was a mix of university players – many just returning from the World University Games last month.

Malaysia had a youth policy, taking the best juniors from the Kuala Lumpur state team. Others used pathway players on the cusp of the elite level.

For Hong Kong China, the most dominant team on show, it was a squad of former seasoned tour players, now furnished into professional AirBadminton athletes.

Their tally of two gold and one silver just reward for the time, effort, commitment and passion they have poured into AirBadminton over the last few years.

Leading the way was former Top 10 men’s singles star Wong Wing Ki Vincent, whose leadership, tactical acumen, and sublime skills steered his Hong Kong China to victory in the Team Relay.

“It’s a milestone victory for us. We’ve created history for Hong Kong,” said Wong.

“After the group stage, we knew we had the confidence and experience to win this. The goal was to get the trophy and the gold medal. It was very exciting.

“We were a little nervous in the quarterfinal but after that we played with great stability and control.”

Hong Kong China and their vanquished opponents in the final, Indonesia, along with the third placed China all qualified for the BWF AirBadminton World Cup 2025 to be staged in Sharjah, UAE from 11-14 December.

For the victors, it was an improvement on their bronze medal from two years ago. In fact, they were the only team to return with the same faces from the inaugural Asian championships two years ago.

That experience and familiarity with AirBadminton clearly showing.

“Six of us are ex-players, and we are the same team from two years before. None of us have been to UAE before so that is exciting,” he added.

Vincent urged more of his fellow ex-tour players to consider making the switch to AirBadminton.

“This week I was the only former Top 10 player here. In the future I hope I can bring more other retired players to come and play AirBadminton,” Wong said.

“The main reason I retired was my right ankle injury. I could never fix it. But as AirBadminton is played on sand there is less pressure on my foot and I feel really good.

“My athlete life is coming back now. I’ve always loved playing competitions but that was taken away with my injury.

“So, making the World Cup and competing again is very exciting.”

Indonesia proved they will forever be strong exponents of AirBadminton with their penchant for highly skilled, fast, midcourt doubles transitioning well to the sand.

They added Men’s Triples gold to their bag of silvers from the Team Relay and Women’s Triples.

→Results

Thailand’s Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul has been confirmed new BWF President at the 86^th BWF Annual General Meeting in Xiamen, China held  Saturday 26 April 2025.

Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul is the second woman president of the Badminton World Federation. She won unopposed.

“For me, badminton has always been more than a sport and tonight marks a deeply meaningful milestone,” said Khunying Patama.

“While badminton is in a strong position today, we must continue to work towards making badminton a truly global sport.

“The next Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles are just three years away and LA28 presents a powerful opportunity to elevate our sport on the world stage. We must be ready to grab this moment.”

Khunying Patama succeeds Denmark’s Poul-Erik Høyer, whose 12-year tenure as BWF President ends today.

Høyer was awarded Honorary Life Vice President by the BWF membership at the AGM.

Khunying Patama added: “Badminton has come a long way over the past decade, and I am truly grateful for the strong foundations that have been laid by my good friend Poul-Erik Høyer.

“Thank you so much for everything you have done for badminton, as a champion on court, a visionary administrator, and, above all, as a wonderful person.

“It is both a privilege and a great responsibility to accept the baton of leadership from you. You have set a high standard for us all to follow.”

Høyer reflected on his 12-year term, the growth of the sport, and his wishes for the future.

“It’s a great honour to pass on the baton of BWF President to my dear friend and colleague Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul,” said Høyer.

“I am sure badminton and the BWF will continue to grow and blossom under your leadership and guidance.

“Badminton has been such a big part of my life for so many years now, both on and off the court.

“And I am so proud of the transformations we have collectively made together over the last 12 years to take the sport to where it is today.

“Continuity, innovation and capacity building are core elements I would like to see the Federation champion over the next four years heading into Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.”

Long-serving BWF Council member and Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois of France was confirmed as Deputy President. He was the sole candidate for the position.

Thobois said: “I’m very excited personally to work with Khunying Patama and the team to further the sport’s global footprint.

“We now have a great challenge ahead of us to keep badminton relevant and exciting for the masses around the world. And the good news is that we are already in a strong position and we are working from a solid strategic blueprint that can help us narrow the gap between badminton and other leading global sports.

“I also want to share my deep admiration for Poul-Erik. He is a true hero. We go back a long time from our playing days, including Atlanta 1996, and we even share the same birthdate. He was an inspiration then, and is still an inspiration now. To see him go out on his own terms today and show amazing strength in leadership is reflective of who he is as a person. He is a living testimony of what the word resilience means and is wonderful example for the badminton community.”

France’s Richard Perot was successful in the election for BWF Vice President Para Badminton over incumbent Paul Kurzo. Perot said he was eager to elevate the sport to new heights.

“My vision is to set a more global and geographically balanced sport where all countries are having the necessary resources to push their boundaries.

“A sport that breaks the barriers and gives every child, disable or not, whatever their social origin, colour of skin, gender or religion, a chance to play for life and achieve their dream to become a champion.”

20 new BWF Council members were also elected in accordance with Continental and gender quotas outlined in the BWF Constitution.

*alphabetical order by surname

The 23 new BWF Council members elected today join the five Continental Vice Presidents and Chair of the Athletes’ Commission currently serving their terms.

• Michel Bau (Vice President – Africa)
• Jassem Kanso (Vice President – Asia)
• Robbert de Kock (Vice President – Europe)
• Loke Poh Wong (Vice President – Oceania)
• Vishu Tolan (Vice President – Pan Am)
• Greysia Polii (Chair – Athletes’ Commission)

BWF Updates

• During today’s AGM, the BWF membership formalised the permanent banning of the ‘spin serve’ as per Law 9.1.5.
• The next BWF AGM is planned for April or May 2026 in conjunction with the BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2026 in Horsens, Denmark. The exact date will be announced before 31 October 2025.
• BWF can confirm Richard Vaughan as the new Chief Operating Officer, who began on 1 April 2025. Vaughan has joined as part of BWF succession plans that will see him replace Stuart Borrie who has served as COO for over 17 years.
• Borrie will remain with the BWF during a transition period in a new Project Director role in order to ensure a smooth onboarding for Vaughan, as well as creating added capacity to develop badminton even further in the years to come.

Member Association Awards 2025

• BWF Membership Grant Programme Impact Award
  • Federation Nacional de Badminton de Honduras
• Participation Award
  • Federation Francaise de Badminton
• Inclusion Award (joint winners)
  • Azerbaijan Badminton Federation
  • Federation Senegalaise de Badminton
• Promotion Award
  • Egyptian Badminton Federation

“I have told his story 500 times and it must be told 500 more times. It’s the most inspiring story I have ever heard,” said former Liverpool Football Club Manager Jurgen Klopp as he spoke to media after watching his friend SL3 player Wojtek Czyz compete on Day 1 of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

“It’s just not normal, especially his sailing story and he didn’t even know how to sail,” said Klopp, referring to Czyz’ five-year sailing trip around the world several years ago. “His story is so inspiring, so special and the world needs to hear it.”

Czyz struck up a friendship with the German manager more than 20 years ago with Klopp heralding Czyz’s ‘crazy story’ to media post-match. The two revived their friendship playing frisbee on a beach before Klopp took over the high-profile role at Liverpool FC and Czyz went sailing around the world with his wife donating prostheses to those who couldn’t afford it.

“I said to Jurgen back then on the beach, ‘Hey, what are you doing here?’. And now all those years later, here we are,” said Czyz.

Czyz was a 21-year-old footballer with SC Fortuna Koln when during a match the opposing team’s goalkeeper crashed into him causing multiple fractures and his leg to be amputated.

Not to be stopped, Czyz then went on to have a stellar athletics career, winning gold medals in 100m, 200m and long jump at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Paralympics, as well as multiple world titles.

After more than a decade of professional athletics, he retired in 2013 and went sailing around the world, ending up in New Zealand, where he and his wife relocated permanently, started a family, and now run a manuka honey farm. Incredibly, he only took up Para badminton three years ago.

Speaking from the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, Klopp said of Czyz’s performance: “I enjoyed watching the match. Well, the seven points that he [Wojtek] won, ha ha ha,” he said jokingly, acknowledging the 21-5 21-2 result against Great Britain’s No.1 seed, Daniel Bethell.

“I sat next to his incredible wife, Elena, and we both had tears in our eyes. Sport can be about results and winning, but there’s much more behind his story. He’s 44-years-old. I can’t get my head around it.

“Yes, he played the best in the world today, but I enjoyed every second of it. We celebrated each point and we kept going. It was pure joy. I couldn’t be prouder of Wojtek and to be here.”

Czyz said of the experience: “Maybe it wasn’t the best match to have Jurgen watch me, when you’re playing against the best in the world. I think you’re looking at the gold medallist right there.

“But we’re here to advocate the sport for the future. If we can do something and that gives the next generation access to disabled sport and better support, then that’s great.

“With Jurgen’s presence, I think it’s a great statement that we need for Para badminton and that makes me very proud of him, and I’m really thankful for that.”

For the ex-Liverpool man, being in Paris for the Paralympics and supporting Wojtek is part of his quest to help increase the exposure of Para sports.

“I went to the Opening Ceremony and it was spectacular, like a Taylor Swift concert. I saw China and Brazil with these huge delegations of athletes and I was blown away. I didn’t expect that.

“The greatest stories are in Para sports. I am always trying to watch as many Para events as possible and it’s made easier these days with streaming. The whole thing has been wonderful and I’m just glad to support my friend,” said a smiling Klopp.

世界羽毛球联合会（BWF）宣布2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛将不继续在中国广州举办。

赛事将迁往泰国曼谷Nimibutr体育馆举办，由于场馆档期和比赛地变更，比赛日期为12月7日至11日，比广州原计划日期提前一周。

世界羽联经与中国羽毛球协会（CBA）协商后同意，鉴于目前疫情形势带来的各种挑战，易地举办2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛。

世界羽联感谢中国羽毛球协会、广州市政府和广州市体育局所作的出色工作。

世界羽联还要感谢泰国羽毛球协会在这么短的时间内为2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛提供替代举办地点。

2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛的参赛运动员名单将在11月22日澳大利亚公开赛结束后确认。

世界羽联确认，2022年汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛将于12月14日至18日在广州举办。这是继2019年之后，中国大陆首次举办国际羽毛球巡回赛。

本赛季各单项最顶尖的八位/组球员将在广州天河体育馆标志性的红色地胶上争夺赛季末的最高荣誉，以及羽毛球史上最高的奖金池——150万美元。

世界羽联秘书长托马斯·伦德表示，国际羽毛球巡回赛再次回到中国对这项运动来说是积极的一步。

伦德说：“汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛是我们一年中最重要的赛事之一，我们很高兴能与中国羽协、广州市政府和我们的主要合作伙伴汇丰银行合作，将总决赛带回广州。”

“我们也感谢中国政府向世界顶级羽毛球运动员发出邀请，我们仍然有信心，我们的东道主将以最高标准为运动员提供安全和舒适的总决赛。”

“广州已经在2018年和2019年举办了两届精彩的汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛，我们期待着为中国的球迷们再次举办一场羽球盛会。”

赛季缩短

即将在10月和11月举行的巡回赛是球员们争夺总决赛积分的最后机会，伦德也确认了2022中国常州公开赛(超级1000)和2022中国福州公开赛(超级750)已被取消。

伦德表示：“遗憾的是，原本在常州和福州举办两站公开赛的计划将无法推进。对于羽毛球界来说，这是至关重要的一年，我们非常自豪能够举办汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛的绝大部分比赛。现在的焦点转向了未来几周将举办的汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛和赛季末的总决赛，在未来几周球员们将为了更多的积分而奋战。”

2022年道达尔能源世界羽联羽毛球世锦赛五个单项决赛选手全部产生。中国队在女单、女双和混双项目中各获一个决赛席位，分别是：陈雨菲、陈清晨/贾一凡和郑思维/黄雅琼。其中陈雨菲击败戴资颖，中国队女单时隔八年重返世锦赛决赛。

中国男单选手赵俊鹏以20-22、6-21不敌泰国选手昆拉武特，无缘决赛，获得其职业生涯第一块世锦赛铜牌。昆拉武特成为了世界羽联世锦赛男单决赛中第一位泰国选手，将在决赛中面对安赛龙。

昆拉武特赛后采访时说道：“我很高兴，这是我第二次参加世锦赛。在第一局比赛中我确实犯了一些错误，但在第二局比赛中我可以很好地控制球。我的注意力集中在控制上，因为球场有风。我期待着在决赛中与安赛龙交手。我想向他学习，他是如何在每场比赛中都打得那么好。我没有压力，因为他是最受欢迎的。”

另一场男单半决赛，安赛龙以2-0的战绩击败了周天成，在第二局14比16落后的情况下，安赛龙积极调整心态，并在接下来的8分中拿下了7分，终结了比赛的悬念。

“我很高兴我在第二局比赛中取得了进步。对手给了我很大的困难，但在精神上，我成功地加快了步伐，这意味着我可以赢得比赛。我告诉自己，我必须专注于每一分，认真防守。我做到了，并且赢得了一些关键的分数。”关于决赛，安赛龙说：“我对自己现在的状态非常满意，我很享受。我不会考虑谁是弱者，谁不是。我期待着明天一场精彩的比赛。这将是艰难的。”

女单决赛将由奥运会冠军陈雨菲对阵卫冕冠军山口茜。半决赛中，陈雨菲以15-21丢掉首局后，以21-14、21-18连扳两局，成为李雪芮在2014年世锦赛获得亚军以后，首位打入女单决赛的中国队选手。山口茜在另外一场比赛中快速战胜了韩国选手安洗莹，晋级决赛。

陈雨菲在赛后采访时表示：“因为这次比赛球比较慢，在场上对抗的拍数会很多，自己在比赛中一直没有放弃，通过多拍相持去逼迫对手失误。”谈到决赛，陈雨菲坦言“全力以赴展示最好的自己，不留遗憾。”

女双比赛中，头号种子陈清晨/贾一凡迎战日本组合松本麻佑/永原和可那，陈清晨/贾一凡以21-13、21-14击败曾同为两届世锦赛冠军的松本麻佑/永原和可那，将与韩国组合金昭映/孔熙容争夺冠军，后者在半决赛中以2-1险胜泰国组合菩提塔/沙西丽。

混双半决赛，头号种子郑思维/黄雅琼经过三局苦战，以21-16、12-21、21-10战胜了队友王懿律/黄东萍，第三次闯入决赛。他们决赛的对手是日本组合渡边勇大/东野有纱。

中国羽毛球双打传奇赵芸蕾入选2022年世界羽毛球联合会（BWF）名人堂，一同入选的还有与其同时代征战羽坛的印尼双打名将莉莉亚娜·纳西尔。

赵芸蕾是她那个时代最全能的双打运动员。 在很长一段时间内，她在混双和女双两个项目中的统治地位无人能及。退役后， 她成为了史上最优秀的羽毛球运动员之一——细数她职业生涯中所获得的冠军头衔，包括两枚奥运会金牌和五枚世锦赛金牌。

世界羽毛球联合会主席保罗·埃里克·霍耶对赵芸蕾入选BWF名人堂表示祝贺。

他说，“入选世界羽联名人堂是对羽毛球运动员最大的致敬。名人堂旨在表彰精英中的精英，赵芸蕾当之无愧地占有一席之地。赢得奥运会或世锦赛金牌是大多数运动员的梦想，而赵芸蕾取得了这两项大赛的双冠王，这是一项了不起的成就。”

Click Here for the BWF Hall of Fame Honour Roll

赵芸蕾将于2022年6月24日周五下午两点举办的线上典礼和媒体活动中正式被官方授誉。

世界羽毛球联合会(以下简称：BWF)的2024年巴黎奥运会参赛资格规则已经得到国际奥委会(以下简称：IOC)的批准。巴黎奥运会积分周期将于2023年5月1日开始持续到2024年4月28日，以2024年4月30日的奥运积分排名名单来确定。

羽毛球参赛总名额为172个(男86个，女86个)，除常规名额(166个)外，还包括2个主办国名额和4个额外名额。每个国家或地区协会派出的男女运动员的名额都不得超过8个。

单打

在每个单打项目中，国家或地区协会至少需要两位球员排在奥运积分前16位，才能获得两个满额参赛名额。共有35个名额，一个东道国名额，两个额外名额。额外名额将在资格期结束后由三方委员会确定。每个单打项目还必须至少有两名来自五大洲协会的运动员，前提是他们的排名在前250名之内。

双打

在每个双打项目中，国家或地区协会至少需要两组球员排在奥运积分前8位，才能获得两个满额参赛名额。每个双打项目还必须至少有一对来自五大洲协会的运动员，前提是他们的排名在前50名之内。

考虑到所有项目的参赛资格，没有任何国家或地区协会可以在单个项目中派出超过2组以上运动员。

在国际奥委会官网上查看已批准的2024年巴黎奥运会参赛资格规则。

世界羽联确认将有大批印尼选手退出将于12月12日在西班牙韦尔瓦举行的2021道达尔能源世锦赛。

印尼羽毛球协会(PBSI)周三上午宣布了这一消息，表达了与新冠肺炎疫情相关的担忧。还有一小部分印尼选手仍在签表中。

世界羽联对PBSI的决定感到失望，并对在抽签后退出感到遗憾。

然而，世界羽联和西班牙羽毛球联合会目前正根据地方和国家卫生当局制定的建议和措施，包括针对所有运动员、团队官员和主要利益攸关方的一套全面的安全协议，集中精力举办一场安全、成功的世锦赛。

此外男单卫冕冠军、世界第二桃田贤斗因伤退出比赛，世界羽联也确认了这一不幸消息。桃田贤斗还退出了上周的2021汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛，并已返回日本。

混双7号种子陈炳顺和吴柳莹在搭档13年后宣布解散，并退出世锦赛。

大多数球员现在已经安全抵达韦尔瓦并进入了“安全泡泡”。第一轮比赛将于当地时间周日上午10点开始。目前没有重新抽签的计划。

2021尤尼克斯法国公开赛男双决赛中，韩国老将组合高成炫/申白喆击败了世界排名第一吉迪恩/苏卡穆约，自2019年澳大利亚公开赛后再次夺得男双冠军。

这是属于两位老将的标志性胜利，他们用韩国的传统打法击败了世界最顶级的男双组合。34岁的高成炫和32岁的申白喆是2016年里约奥运会后退役的几对顶级男双选手之一；他们于2018年复出，但复出之旅磕磕绊绊。与此同时，小黄人组合将自己塑造成里约后男双一代的佼佼者。

但韩国老将今天的表现表明，他们的技术仍旧是最顶级的；不管对手的什么球，他们都用顽强的防守化解；他们调动苏卡穆约让他无法发挥前场的实力，当机会来临时，他们由守转攻一击制胜。

高成炫获得了他的第三个法国公开赛冠军(前两次分别搭档李龙大和金荷娜），申白喆获得了他的第一个法国公开赛冠军。“在来这里之前，我们都不认为我们能赢，”高成炫说。“每次胜利后，我们都感觉更好，今天我们超级开心。几年前我们离开了国家队，在疫情之后，这是我们第一次进入高级别赛事决赛，所以这对我们来说真的很重要。”

“与年轻选手相比，我们体能限制很大，所以很难跟上他们。我们有经验，这对我们今天很有帮助。这取决于具体情况。也许今天我们的处理得比对手好。他们真的是很好的球员。很难把他们和我们同时代的人相比。即使在那时，也有很多人比我们更好。”

申白喆说：“我们没有任何遗憾。但在我们不打球的那段时间里，我们对自己的未来感到不安。现在我们很高兴我们今天做到了。这是我第一次在法国参加决赛，所以意义重大。在这之后，我们将对未来的重大比赛更有信心。”

他们的的同胞李绍熙和申昇瓒早些时候以21-17、21-12击败队友金昭映/孔熙容获得了女双冠军，继2019年后再次登上最高领奖台。

Click here for results

2021道达尔能源世界羽联苏迪曼杯总决赛决赛中，卫冕冠军中国队以3-1击败日本队，第12次捧起苏迪曼杯。

纵观全场比赛，双方都展现了超强水准，年轻的球员们表现出了与久经沙场的球星们一样的抗压能力。在上一届苏迪曼杯上，日本队以0-3被中国队击败，这次他们试图推翻这一结果，但他们不得不再次区居亚军。

中国队教练张军谈到了对年轻队员的信任，以及他们在这场重大赛事中坚守立场的能力。让一位球员上两个单项的计划被搁置，中国选择了何济霆和周昊东参加男双。

结果如愿以偿。保木卓朗/小林优吾在一个多小时的时间里与中国的年轻队员进行了战斗，但日本人错误地过度依赖防守。在比赛的最后阶段，何济霆/周昊东始终保持着进攻的活力，帮助中国队取得了领先。

“我们在四分之一决赛中输给了丹麦，我们吸取了教训——我们试着更有耐心，”周昊东说。

在上届苏迪曼杯决赛中，山口茜输给了陈雨菲。今天山口一心要进攻。日本人不愿意在对抗赛中留下遗憾，她保持着陈雨菲难以跟上的速度。即使当她的对手找到空档时，山口茜也依靠着顽强的跑动进行补救。正是这种更顽强的风格帮助山口茜赢得了比赛，因为陈雨菲在其他方面还是一如既往的精确和稳定。

“上一届苏迪曼杯我也是同样的情况，但我输了，所以我不想重蹈覆辙。而且，她是奥运会金牌得主，所以我决定挑战她。”山口说。“我只是想打一场稳定的比赛。我知道她打了几场长时间的比赛，一定会累的。我没有打过这么多长时间的比赛，所以我很有活力。”

在一场高质量的开局之后，男单比赛出现了最令人好奇的转折。开局似乎消耗了石宇奇太多精力，因此他放弃了第二局，把所有精力留到第三局上。无论是这一周累积的疲劳，还是仅仅精神上的压力，桃田贤斗又一次输了。世界第一面对石宇奇的不断高强度进攻，并没有什么办法能够应对，最终石宇奇以2-1击败对手，使中国队以2-1领先。

桃田否认疲劳是他在第三局比赛中有点无精打采的原因。“我被对手的进攻能力压垮了，所以我输了。我没有那么累，但我找不到赢球的方法。”

石宇奇在庆祝他2019年7月受伤复出后的最佳时刻时，承诺要比受伤前更好。“我放弃了第二局以恢复我的体力。我必须把所有的精力都放在第三局比赛上。我有90%的最佳状态。赢得比赛是一件很棒的事情，但我的目标不是回到以前的水平——我要达到以前水平的120% !”

日本最后的希望寄托在女双临时组合上，松本麻佑/松友美佐纪给陈清晨/贾一凡造成了不小的麻烦。中国组合一路经受着考验，她们表现出了出色的气质，关键时刻下手更加果断。

随着21-17 21-16的胜利，苏迪曼杯留在了中国。“奥运会之后,这个冠军让我们可以再次激励我们的队员，”张军说，“我们本届苏杯男双阵容上不是最完美的，对泰国和丹麦我们有一些困难，但我们决定让年轻球员上场，我们信任他们的能力，他们今天做的很好。”
Click here for Match Centre.

2021道达尔能源世界羽联苏迪曼杯总决赛 第三比赛日中，桃田贤斗率领的日本队5-0击败英格兰队，将与马来西亚队争夺小组头名位置。

在东京奥运会小组赛阶段被淘汰之后，球迷对桃田的状态充满了好奇。今天，在D组日本对阵英格兰的比赛中，渡边勇大/东野有纱帮助日本取得领先后，桃田贤斗在与世界排名第205位的托尔森的比赛中，看上去与巅峰时期的状态还相距甚远。

日本人经常被托尔森的杀直线所击溃，这位22岁的英格兰球员打得非常轻松，然而最后一记发球将优势拱手让给了桃田，他在第一局比赛中获得了信心，并在没有进一步失误的情况下结束了比赛。

“一开始我非常紧张，无法发挥自己的能力。接近第二局的时候，我让自己冷静下来，控制住自己的比赛。”

“我希望在专注度方面有所提高。我今天很紧张，不能专注于一件事。不过，好在我能让自己冷静下来。”

托尔森说，他对自己的表现感到惊讶。

“这对我来说绝对是一个惊喜，我不知道他是否感到紧张。很高兴看到我的扣杀能够穿透他的防守。我认为这对我来说绝对是一个巨大的信心助推器，能够在与世界上最好的球员的比赛中取得这样的成绩。我想在未来面对每一个球员时都这样做。”

本·莱恩和文迪不敌古贺辉/斋藤太一，没能阻止日本队。 山口茜以21-16/21-12击败霍尔顿，之后志田千阳/松山奈未在与布里奇/史密斯的比赛中直落两局，帮助日本队5-0完胜英格兰队。

在另一场B组比赛中，马来西亚以5比0击败埃及，而在B组中，中华台北以5比0击败德国，韩国以同样的优势击败了塔希提岛。

Click here for Match Centre.

Download the Badminton4U app here.

Victor Lai’s hopes of contesting a second consecutive home final at YONEX Canada Open 2026 ended on Saturday after a three-game defeat to Yudai Okimoto.

Chasing the distinction of becoming the first Canadian men’s singles champion in 21 years, the top-seeded Lai made a strong start by taking the opening game 21-15. However, the 21-year-old Okimoto responded with a 21-16 win before pulling away 21-11 in the decider. Lai, who appeared hampered by a left knee problem, struggled to match the Japanese shuttler’s pace as the match wore on.

World No.29 Okimoto advances to an all-Japanese final against Riki Takei, who earlier ended Paris 2024 bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia’s campaign with a 21-13 18-21 21-18 victory in 70 minutes. Japan are also guaranteed the women’s doubles title after Hinata Suzuki/Nao Yamakita and Kaho Osawa/Mai Tanabe set up a title bout against each other.

With representatives in all five finals, Japan have on Sunday the chance to become the first nation since England in 2004 to complete a sweep at the Canada Open.

Among those is Riko Gunji, who upset another Canadian top seed Michelle Li, 21-13 21-17 in the women’s singles semifinals. She will face US Open champion Line Christophersen, who has reached back-to-back HSBC BWF World Tour finals for the first time in her career.

Chinese Taipei’s Liu Kuang Heng and Hsu Yin Hui also advanced to a second straight final, defeating top-seeded mixed pair Presley Smith/Jennie Gai 21-9 23-21, a week after claiming the US Open title.

→ Results (Semifinals)

→ Order of play (Finals)

On World Badminton Day (5 July), BWF celebrates badminton not only for its speed, skill and excitement, but also its power to bring people together and shape lives.

For Pusarla V. Sindhu and Ho Yuen Chan Daniel, the sport has meant far more than medals and titles. It has given them purpose, connection and a sense of belonging that reaches across the globe.

One of badminton’s most recognisable stars, everything begins with desire for Pusarla.

“Badminton is my passion,” she said when asked about what the sport meant to her. “You need to play with passion and enjoyment, and automatically you will enjoy the sport.” It is a mindset that has carried her to remarkable heights.

An Olympic silver medallist at Rio 2016 and bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, she became world champion in 2019, adding to an impressive collection of World Championships medals that began with a breakthrough bronze in 2013.

“When I won my first World Championships medal, it gave me a lot of confidence,” she added. “That took me forward and helped me grow.”

She reached world No.2 in 2017 and claimed Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, cementing her place among the sport’s greats.

Today, the popular Indian shuttler continues to shape the sport beyond her playing career, as Chair of the BWF Athletes’ Commission and a member of the BWF Council. As a global ambassador, she represents not just excellence but also the values badminton stands for.

“Badminton gave me fame, friendships and the opportunity to travel to different countries,” she said. “I never expected that when I first started.”

Among those friendships is her bond with three-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin. Fierce rivals on court, the two share a deep mutual respect off it, showing how badminton can transform rivalry into lasting relationships.

For Pusarla, those human connections are among the sport’s greatest rewards.

“You stay healthy, you meet people around the world and you make friends,” she said. “The love and support from fans, whether I was at my lowest or at my best, is something I will always cherish.”

That same spirit runs through the story of Chan. A former WH1 Para badminton player, Chan discovered the sport after a life‑changing accident and credits it with helping him rebuild his life.

“Badminton is like my faith,” he said. “It rebuilt my confidence, gave me purpose and allowed me to recreate my life with strength and dignity.”

His career reached its peak on the Paralympic stage, where he won bronze at Tokyo 2020 and silver at Paris 2024.

“The Paris final was especially meaningful because it was the last international match of my career,” he said. “From the first day I became an athlete, I dreamed of retiring at my peak.”

Like Pusarla, Chan values what badminton gave him beyond results.

“We may be opponents on court, but off court we support, admire and rely on one another,” he said. “I have friends in almost every country I have competed in.”

He also embraced leadership roles, serving as Chair of the BWF Para Athletes’ Commission and as a member of the BWF Council.

“These opportunities allowed me to represent my community and advocate for athletes’ rights,” he reflected.

Their stories capture what makes badminton so special. It is a sport that keeps people active, builds confidence, creates lifelong friendships and connects communities across borders and cultures.

On this World Badminton Day, the message is simple: raise a racket, play with passion and enjoy our wonderful sport.

Because, as Pusarla and Chan remind us, badminton is more than just a sport.

This is the 71st story in our Humans of Shuttle Time series, in which we present the perspectives of those who are involved with badminton at the grassroots level. Bladimir Guillen Rojas, Shuttle Time Coordinator with Badminton Federation of Venezuela, talks of his journey in badminton.

Childhood Days

I played a lot of sports and enjoyed nature in the afternoons after school. All my life I have lived under the influence of the working class, with few opportunities to save, but happy.

Tryst with Badminton

It was through my own initiative. I began to research online, looking for videos and basic information to start working with adolescents under my responsibility as a physical education teacher in high school.

I have always liked non-mainstream sports. Badminton for me was striking and interesting because it represented a continuous challenge to master as a practitioner and to teach it to my students. In addition, it was eye-catching because of how fast the shuttlecock flies and its physical demand in terms of movement and coordination to hit correctly.

Relationship with Badminton

Since that moment I have dedicated a lot of time to watch videos on Youtube and research in sports magazines, to increase my knowledge. Over time my lifestyle became dedicated to training young people using badminton as a tool for social transformation. So far I have not been able to make it a mass sport in my city. However, I hope that with the implementation of Shuttle Time courses I can attract other teachers with whom I can form a team that will lead us to consolidate badminton in schools, high schools and universities.

Memorable Events

At the national level it was the National games of 2022, where as a team we managed to reach three finals, winning two. Through these results we attended the South American Youth Games the same year. Through a lot of effort I earned the opportunity to represent my country as head coach. I accompanied four athletes, two of whom I had trained using Shuttle Time. That is why I guarantee that with conscious work and proper use of the Shuttle Time resources you can go far, besides positively influencing young people.

What Badminton Means

It’s what I do every day. As a coach, it has led me to represent my country on several occasions. I was recently assigned as National Coordinator of Shuttle Time and that for me is the main challenge currently, to make the sport known in all the states of Venezuela in order to enable athletes to play at national events and/or make badminton be recognized for what it is, an Olympic sport that deserves space in competitive and recreational areas.

Developing Badminton in the Community

At first I visited a school adjacent to the gymnasium in the company of the three student-athletes who had started badminton. We did an exhibition that led to the recruitment of boys and girls who later represented Mérida in the national championships. Eventually we started weekend practice in the community field outdoors; their families accepted the new sport as something important and significant for their children.

Impact of Shuttle Time

I managed to train competitive athletes in a sport that was non-existent in Venezuela, strictly following the sequence offered by the Shuttle Time programme. We have been pioneers and contributed important results to the State of Mérida and the country.

Previous Stories in this Series:

Humans of Shuttle Time: Damo Enou Marc
Humans of Shuttle Time: Alžbeta Peruňská
Humans of Shuttle Time: Ilayda Nur Ozelgul
Humans of Shuttle Time: Dixon Vargas Tejeda
Humans of Shuttle Time: Olga Munoz
Humans of Shuttle TIme: Anna Mae Sapinit
Humans of Shuttle Time: Moses Adu
Humans of Shuttle Time: Roxana Beatriz Hernandez
Humans of Shuttle Time: Sayfulnasr Keeshar Mohammed Alaqeebi
Humans of Shuttle Time: Andrii Ohnystyi
Humans of Shuttle Time: Gouzou Matthieu
Humans of Shuttle Time: Lorenzo Torres
Humans of Shuttle Time: Gabriel Martin
Humans of Shuttle Time: Alžbeta Peruňská
Humans of Shuttle Time: Yacin Mahmoud Ali 
Humans of Shuttle Time: Asylbek uulu Meerbek
Humans of Shuttle Time: Anil Seepaul
Humans of Shuttle Time: Kazadi Kazadi Joel
Humans of Shuttle Time: Wilma Tupu
Humans of Shuttle Time: Laia Oset Moncho
Humans of Shuttle Time: Aisarova Jasmin
Humans of Shuttle Time: Saygufron Davletov
Humans of Shuttle Time: Rafael Lora
Humans of Shuttle Time: Graham Berry
Humans of Shuttle Time: Alaa Mohamed Youssef Fathy
Humans of Shuttle Time: Raul Jara Tacora
Humans of Shuttle Time: Lerato Lepheane
Humans of Shuttle Time: Genelyn Lansangan
Humans of Shuttle Time: Paulo Jerome Niniano Quidato
Humans of Shuttle Time: Josefa Matasau
Humans of Shuttle Time: Richard Gregory Wong
Humans of Shuttle Time: Alessandro Redaelli
Humans of Shuttle Time: Veronika Protassova
Humans of Shuttle Time: Robbert De Keijzer
Humans of Shuttle Time: Carolina M Vaughn
Humans of Shuttle Time: Sam Paterson
Humans of Shuttle Time: Deki Tshomo
Humans of Shuttle Time: Hadeel Mohammad Alomari
Humans of Shuttle Time: Daiverson Ferrari Rodrigues
Humans of Shuttle Time: Ammar Awad
Humans of Shuttle Time: Carolin Ruth
Humans of Shuttle Time: Caroline Brial
Humans of Shuttle Time: Danny Ten
Humans of Shuttle Time: Mohlala Mopeli
Humans of Shuttle Time: Tatiana Petrova
Humans of Shuttle Time: Levente Nagy-Szabó
Humans of Shuttle Time: Kumon Tarawa
Humans of Shuttle Time: Didier Nourry
Humans of Shuttle Time: Joseph Devenecia
Humans of Shuttle Time: Su Ying Lau
Humans of Shuttle Time: Erin Walklate
Humans of Shuttle Time: Bukasa Mukoma Marcel
Humans of Shuttle Time: Luis Fernando Montilla
Humans of Shuttle Time: Artur Niyazov
Humans of Shuttle Time: Galkhuu Zulbaatar
Humans of Shuttle Time: Zuzana Rajdugova
Humans of Shuttle Time: Milan Barbir
Humans of Shuttle Time: Nargis Nabieva
Humans of Shuttle Time: Hannes Andersson
Humans of Shuttle Time: Merlie Tolentino
Humans of Shuttle Time: Nikhil Chandra Dhar
Humans of Shuttle Time: Geoffrey Shigoli 
Humans of Shuttle Time: Erik Betancourt Luna
Humans of Shuttle Time: Richard Ssali Kaggwa
Humans of Shuttle Time: Azizbek Madjitov
Humans of Shuttle Time: Elie Jean
Humans of Shuttle Time: Danielle Whiteside
Humans of Shuttle Time: Oscar Alejandro Vera Suarez
Humans of Shuttle Time: Sandra Low
Humans of Shuttle Time: Dorji
Humans of Shuttle Time: Genevieve Cutter

Broadcast List: Europe & Rest of the WorldYou can also follow the YONEX Canada 2026 on BWF TV.

** Check your local TV guides for broadcast times and details **

Get ready to celebrate World Badminton Day on 5 July 2026!

Join us as we ‘Raise a Racket’, and celebrate the joy of badminton by sharing your exciting and inspiring events.

With two days to go, BWF invites Member Associations, Continental Confederations, schools, badminton clubs, universities, Para sport organisations, Special Olympics programmes, fans, NGOs and cities around the world to be part of this global celebration.

Host activities in your own unique way and help showcase the power of badminton to unite communities everywhere.

→ Find out how to get involved.

We are also offering badminton fans a chance to win a trip to the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2026 in Hangzhou, China.

Our goal is to raise awareness and inspire people worldwide to enjoy the sport, while living active and healthy lifestyles. The contest has four key themes:

• Raise a Racket for the sport you love
• Raise a Racket for your badminton family
• Raise a Racket for how badminton makes you feel
• Raise a Racket for World Badminton Day

In short, ‘Raise a Racket’ to win a trip of a lifetime!

• Step 1: Take a photo of you playing badminton
• Step 2: Post it on Instagram and follow @bwf.official
• Step 3: Tag @bwf.official and use #RaiseARacket and #WorldBadmintonDay

Entries close at 11.59pm on 8 July 2026. Winners will be announced on 17 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul is also joining in the celebrations ahead of the big day.

Of the occasion, she said: “Right now, people everywhere are gathering to play, compete, coach and enjoy the game. From great cities to small communities, from young children to lifelong players, and for people of every ability, badminton brings us closer across cultures and generations. Badminton belongs to everyone. So, wherever you are, pick up a racket, enjoy a match and share it with someone new. Raise a racket for the sport we love.”

→ READ MORE

About World Badminton Day

The inaugural World Badminton Day was officially marked on 5 July 2022, commemorating the founding of the International Badminton Federation – now BWF – on 5 July 1934.

Celebrated annually, the day recognises this historic milestone while bringing people and communities together through fun, inclusive and innovative badminton activities around the world.

It offers a unique opportunity to showcase the sport’s many qualities and inspire everyone to ‘Raise a Racket’, encouraging friends, family and communities to get involved.

Sujirat Pookkham, one of Thailand’s most decorated Para badminton players, has officially retired from competition, closing a chapter on nearly two decades at the top of the sport.

The 40-year-old rose to prominence by winning gold at the 2009 World Championships in Seoul and went on to become a consistent podium finisher on the sport’s biggest stages, including the Paralympic Games and Asian Para Games.

Among the world’s best in her category during her prime, Pookkham captured WH1 women’s singles silver at Paris 2024, narrowly losing the final in three games to the much younger Sarina Satomi 21-18 13-21 18-21. She had won the same medal three years earlier at Tokyo 2020, when badminton made its Paralympic debut.

When she became world champion in 2009, Pookkham was one of Thailand’s first gold medallists in wheelchair badminton. She added two more gold – mixed doubles in 2013 and women’s doubles in 2015 – cementing her status as one of Thailand’s greatest Para badminton players.

Her retirement comes five months after concluding her international career at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Manama, Bahrain, where she claimed two more bronze in women’s singles and doubles.

Beyond the medals, Pookkham’s longevity and resilience made her an inspiration to Para athletes across Asia while helping elevate Thailand’s profile in adaptive sports.

We wish Sujirat the best in her future endeavours.

Badminton Denmark has paid tribute to Frede Kruse-Christiansen, former chairman of Badminton Denmark (1978 to 1988), who passed away at the age of 82 on Sunday 28 June 2026.

Frede Kruse-Christiansen was a prominent figure in Danish and international badminton for decades and he left a lasting legacy for the sport.

He was chair of the Organising Committee of three World Championships in Copenhagen – in 1983, 1991 and 1999.

For world badminton, the World Championships in1983 was a significant moment in the journey to get into the Olympic Games when then IOC President Samaranch was present to witness extraordinary match plan and the presentation of our sport the highest levels.

Frede Kruse-Christiansen was Honorary member of Badminton Denmark, Team Denmark and the Danish Olympic Committee and was presented with the BWF Meritorious Service Award in 1991.

• Tribute to Frede Kruse-Christiansen by Lars Jørgen Andersen – Danish Badminton Museum in Danish (choose translate to English)
• Interview with Frede Kruse-Christiansen 2023 – Danish Badminton Museum in Danish (choose translate to English)

Following the successful launch of the BWF Shuttle Time Senior (STS) Programme, we are pleased to announce that the Shuttle Time Senior Manual and Shuttle Time Senior Instructor Online Course are now available.

The STS Programme was developed in partnership with Coventry University to promote active and healthy ageing through badminton.

Resources

Shuttle Time Senior Instructor Online Course

A Shuttle Time Senior Instructor can be an existing coach, teacher, a medical practitioner or any individual willing to acquire knowledge to deliver an inclusive badminton session.

The online course complements the Shuttle Time Senior Manual and equips STS Instructors in delivering safe and enjoyable sessions with an elderly group of people.

The STS Instructor Online Course includes:

• Interactive learning modules
• Video demonstrations and practical examples
• Key principles of healthy ageing and senior participation
• Guidance on adapting activities for different abilities
• Assessment activities to support learning outcomes

Shuttle Time Senior Instructor Manual

The Instructor Manual provides practical guidance for delivering the programme, including:

• Principles of coaching and engaging older adults
• Safe and inclusive session delivery
• Adapted badminton activities and exercises
• Session planning guidance
• The complete Shuttle Time Senior 8-session framework
• Tips for creating enjoyable and sustainable senior badminton programmes

Upon successful completion of the online course, participants will receive BWF Shuttle Time Senior Instructor certificate and will be able to download the Shuttle Time Senior Manual for implementation.

Who can implement Shuttle Time Senior?

• BWF Member Associations
• Care homes and retirement communities
• Badminton and multi-sport clubs
• Academies
• Rehabilitation centres
• Military and police organisations
• Community centres
• Corporates
• Local governments
• Non-governmental organisations
• Others

Opportunity for BWF Accreditation

The above organisations can be recognised as a Shuttle Time Senior Accredited Organisations. More information: Shuttle Time Senior Accredited Organisations

Get Involved

We encourage Member Associations and other organisations to get involved:

1. Identify organisations or group of elderly in your community, region or country (no badminton experience is needed)
2. Enrol Instructors in the Shuttle Time Senior Online Course (Instructors can be a person with or without badminton experience)
3. Begin delivering Shuttle Time Senior sessions and become part of a growing global movement promoting active and healthy ageing through badminton.

Refer to the STS Implementation Guidelines for more guidance on how to strategise and implement STS.

More Information / Contact Person

For more information on Shuttle Time Senior programme, please get in touch with us:

• Sahir Edoo – Head of Development Projects: [email protected]
• Erica Khoo – Development Manager: [email protected]

Learn more about the Super 300 YONEX Canada Open 2026.

• Home favourite Michelle Li is the sole top seed to have previously aced her event.
• Other than Li, no singles player has won consecutive crowns from the beginning of the 2010s.
• She is also the only shuttler to win three on the spin this century (2014-2016).
• Li and Natsu Saito are just two former winners returning.
• Saito, however, is in the mixed doubles draw with Akira Koga after winning in 2023 with Hiroki Midorikawa.
• Glory in Markham will make Li Canada Open’s most successful women’s singles star. She is currently tied on four titles with compatriot Marjorie Shedd.
• Since Hariawan’s men’s singles triumph in 2005, Canada have not produced another champion in the event. This year, the top two seeds are Canadians – Victor Lai and Brian
• Japan have produced winners at six of the last seven Canada Opens.
• Post-COVID, starting 2022, they have taken home at least two titles from every edition.
• That bodes well for the Land of the Rising Sun, which possesses seeds in all but one discipline (men’s doubles). In women’s doubles, three of the top five seeds are Japanese.

Standout Stat: Japanese pairs have won the women’s doubles title at five of the last seven editions.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has confirmed the BWF World Tour Calendar for 2027 and 2028, comprising a 35-tournament global circuit from Super 1000 to Super 100 level, plus the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals.

BWF World Tour Calendar 2027-2028

The calendar runs year-round from January to December. At the top tier, the circuit is anchored by five Super 1000 tournaments across Asia and Europe, each staged over 11 days across two weekends. The format features a 48-player singles draw with a group stage followed by knockout rounds, alongside a 32-pair doubles knockout draw. All 1,095 matches from these Super 1000 tournaments will be broadcast globally.

BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul said the 2027–2028 calendar reflects the Federation’s commitment to players and long-term development.

“Our players are at the heart of everything we do. As global ambassadors and icons of our sport, they deserve an environment that allows them to perform at their best, recover properly, and connect meaningfully with fans around the world,” she said.

“The enhancements introduced in this calendar, including extended competition windows, are a deliberate step to improve playing conditions for our top athletes.

“They enable more balanced scheduling and greater recovery time between matches, supporting players in their pursuit of excellence and helping them sustain longer, more successful careers.

“At the same time, we now have a high-quality, globally balanced circuit of unprecedented scale — more televised matches into more markets — creating greater opportunities for players and accelerating badminton’s global reach and impact.”

All tournaments in the 2027–2028 calendar will be played under the new 3×15 scoring system, effective from Monday, 4 January 2027, as part of BWF’s long-term strategy to modernise competition formats and enhance the presentation of the sport worldwide.

The LA28 Olympic Games qualifying window runs from 3 May 2027 to 30 April 2028.

Dates and host cities for the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2027, BWF World Championships 2027, and BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2028 will be confirmed separately.

*Editor’s Note: Additional Super 100s may be added at a later date.

ENDS

Contact: [email protected]

Lloyd Green
BWF Deputy Director of Communications
Mobile: +60 19-384 0556

Dianne Pierre
Communications & Media Manager
Mobile: +60 19-220 4616