SHUTTLE WORLD - Jamaica Badminton Association

BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION www.bwfbadminton.org

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) and energy giant, Total, have announced a landmark multi-million-dollar partnership from 2015 until 2018 covering both BWF Major Events and the MetLife BWF World Superseries.

This deal will see Total assume title sponsorship for all BWF Major Events – starting with this year’s TOTAL BWF World

Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia – and including the TOTAL BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals and the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup. It breaks new ground for Total which mainly focuses its branding activities on the motorsports arena.

Welcoming Total to the international badminton family and highlighting common characteristics such as powerful performance, technologically advanced precision and especially endurance - key product values of Total – BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer hailed the new sponsorship a “natural fit”, adding “it is significant that one of the major players in the global energy industry will now be partnering with badminton – the fastest racket sport which also requires incredible stamina”. “I am proud to announce this partnership with a global company like Total, entrusting badminton to convey its corporate message and values. I am convinced badminton will also benefit from this association with Total’s strong principles and corporate profile. “Both badminton and Total are expanding globally and share core values such as equal opportunity, local integration and continued innovation. It is a partnership that appeals to us on a strong philosophical level and reflects how we want to portray badminton in the corporate marketplace. BWF looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship with our newest partner.” Noting badminton’s growing mass appeal, Total Marketing & Services Asia Pacific, Senior Vice President, François Dehodencq said: “We are very pleased to be the first global energy company to partner with BWF to promote the badminton sport. The suite of world-class events which BWF hosts represent the best of individual and team competition, and feature elite athletes from across the world. Moreover, almost 80% of the Olympic badminton medalists hail from Asia Pacific, a region where Total is committed to grow our presence.”

Total Marketing & Services Asia Pacific, Specialties Vice President, Stéphane Lagrue elaborated further: “Total is committed to delivering outstanding performance and endurance of car engines with TOTAL QUARTZ lubricants and identifies the badminton sport as a game of athletic endurance, alongside our globally active role in performance and endurance motorsports.

“This package of tournaments stands at the pinnacle of international badminton, with strong public interest particularly from this region. We look forward to being associated with such well-established sporting events and working with BWF to promote badminton to the benefit of both parties.”

New-look seasoN;New superseries break(paGe 4)

shuttliNG throuGh 2014(paGe 9)

Yonex sunrise Malaysia Masters 2015 (Grand prix Gold), kuching syed Modi international badminton Championships 2015 (Grand prix Gold), lucknow

2015 european Mixed team Championships, leuven (belgium)

X-trM oceania Championships 2015, auckland

Yonex German open 2015 (Grand prix Gold), Mulheim an der ruhr

Yonex all england open badminton Championships 2015 (superseries premier), birmingham

swiss open 2015, basel

Yonex sunrise india open 2015 (superseries), New Delhi

Maybank Malaysia open 2015 (superseries premier), kuala lumpur

SHUTTLE WORLDOCTOBER 2014 - JANUARY 2015 / EDITION NO. 8

highlights

key dates

13-18 January

20-25 January

12-15 February

12-15 February

24 February-01 March

03-08 March

10-15 March

24-29 March

31 March-05 april

TOTAL AND BWF – New eNerGY iN baDMiNtoN

BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer (left) and Total Marketing & Services Asia Pacific, Senior Vice President, François Dehodencq, exchange corporate gifts to mark the new partnership.

happY New Year2015


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Dear Colleagues and Friends

May I begin by wishing you all a Happy New Year as I look forward to the continued growth of our sport throughout the 180 member associations of the Badminton World Federation. The past year was again marked by significant developments in various spheres which have given us an even stronger platform on which carry forward our strategic plans and programmes as we get into Olympic mode again, with the Rio 2016 Summer Games just a year away now.

That will be of primary focus for our elite athletes – many of whom distinguished themselves in top competition during 2014 – as we begin qualification for the Olympics in May. We can expect the “Race to Rio” to provide great excitement as players and fans alike keep watch to see who is in the running.

Our para-badminton athletes will also be getting into countdown mode as they happily prepare for their historic, inaugural participation in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020. Para-badminton’s inclusion on the International Paralympic Committee’s Sports Programme - and among the first 16 sports – was a humbling and joyous occasion for the entire BWF family. It is an achievement of which we should all be proud, especially the members of our para-badminton community who have worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality. There will be much to do in the years leading up to Tokyo 2020 but, with our commitment and enthusiasm buoyed by the IPC’s decision, I know we are invigorated to work even harder.

On an equally positive note, we have just enjoyed the first BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals and I believe all who attended this event were impressed by the professionalism and world-class standards which they experienced. The players – for whom the Finals are a well-earned reward for a successful season – openly shared their appreciation and delight on social media and in person. That’s the surest sign that we are on the right track and I wish to thank our partners, Falcon and Associates as well as Dubai Sports Council, for a great start to this four-year agreement.

Additionally, I would like to thank all of BWF’s corporate partners, as well as our media partner - IMG Media – for their support and we look forward to continuing our work with them over the coming seasons. Special mention goes to MetLife, the title sponsors of our flagship BWF World Superseries circuit, who came on board in 2014 and whom we are delighted to have with us for another three years. In that regard, it is timely for me to welcome Total to the international badminton family. An agreement of this magnitude speaks volumes and we are pleased that this global energy giant has determined badminton is a good fit for its commercial aspirations and growth, particularly in Asia Pacific. We anticipate a long and fruitful relationship with our newest partner and indeed the new title sponsor of BWF Major Events.

This is a wonderful start to 2015 and, as we chart our plans for the coming months, I trust there will be more good news to share as the season progresses.

Poul-Erik Høyer

Poul-Erik HøyerBWF President

eDitorial

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PArA-BADmiNTON: iNTEgrATiNg TOUrNAmENTS AND DEvELOPmENT

The recent and upcoming combination of tournaments and development activities is the latest and surest sign that para-badminton is on a sound pathway towards its debut in the 2020 Paralympic Games.

The announcement last October that badminton athletes with impairments have a chance to realise their dreams of competing at the highest level came amid a flurry of para-badminton action, with continental championships either on the horizon or having just taken place in Asia (Korea), Europe (Spain) and Pan America (Cuba) while various development programmes were happening around the world.

Para-badminton has been evolving on multiple fronts, with a developing tournament circuit and a strong focus on introducing interested persons to the requirements of becoming technical officials, classifiers and other support staff and ensuring players understand the classification process for international competitions.

In December, development workshops were held in Canada, Cuba and France. In the latter, BWF used the opportunity of the Para-Badminton National Championships in Toulouse to inform players about classification and the requirements to play in an international tournament to get their official international classification. There was also an awareness workshop for medical professionals who were interested in training to become BWF Level

1 International Classifiers, and this included first-hand perspectives from Classifiers.

Further development initiatives are taking place in January in Africa (Uganda) and Asia (Malaysia). The Uganda forum early in the month focused on developing players’ skills and knowledge of para-badminton and on building the quality of para-badminton coaching by sharing ideas to enhance coaching practice. Later in the month (22-25 January), Malaysia will host a Para-Badminton Training Camp along with a BWF research project to gather data from 20 athletes in the SL 3 and SL 4 Sport Classes. This is part of BWF’s ongoing goal to have an evidence-based classification system underpinned by research data. The research project has a multi-disciplined approach using biomechanics, kinesiology, and physiology. The training camp will bring ten coaches and 20 players together to share expertise and to train and work together to enhance practice.

On the courts, the 2015 season will be busy for para-badminton players with a good mixture of international tournaments scheduled across Asian and European countries. Additionally, the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships 2015 – soon to be announced formally – will again bring together the crème de la crème of competitors to vie for the title of World Champion in the latter half of the year.

Action begins with V Spanish Para-Badminton International set for 25-29 March in Alcudia,

Spain, before moving on to the China Para-Badminton International in Beijing from 13-17 May. A month later, Dublin hosts the Irish Para-Badminton International 24-28 June while the 2nd Indonesia Para-Badminton International takes place in Solo from 5-9 August.

“Para-badminton is growing at a strong pace and we have increasing interest from countries in hosting events and we now have to see how best to arrange the annual calendar to the maximum benefit of players and also the development aspects of para-badminton,” noted BWF Secretary General, Thomas Lund.

“We have a good spread of events for 2015 and we are planning various developmental activities, such as a Stage 1 International Classifier training course, to be held in conjunction with one of the International tournaments in Europe or at the World Championships. We’re trying to take as much advantage as possible of gatherings of the para-badminton community to stage our development programmes as it’s a natural fit.”

PArA-BADmiNTON FOr 2020 PArALymPic gAmESLast 7 October was a historic day as badminton was named among the first 16 sports included in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games sports programme.

The full list released by the International Paralympic Committee’s Governing Board was as follows: athletics, archery, badminton, boccia, equestrian, goalball, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.

IPC President Sir Philip Craven said: “Our aim is to ensure the final Tokyo 2020 Paralympic sports programme is fresh and features the best para-sports possible. I would like to congratulate…badminton, who after missing out four years ago, submitted a very strong application.”

Meanwhile, BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer was elated at the news, stating “this is a landmark opportunity for athletes with impairments in the badminton community” and “we are humbled and honoured by this decision that will bring joy to so many of our players”.

Indonesia’s high-flying Suryo Nugroho created a stir at the asian Games.

Scotland’s Para-Badminton Coach, Kaity Hall, delivered BWF workshops in Canada for coaches (pictured at right) and in Cuba for coaches and players (participants pictured at left).

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those knocking on the doors of the elite ranks. Twenty-two Level 3 tournaments – nine Grand Prix and 13 GPG – have been distributed evenly throughout the year, providing plenty of opportunities for upcoming players to break into the upper echelons.

The Grand Prix events are (in chronological order): Canada, Russia, Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, Dutch, Scotland, Brazil, USA GP (new in 2014) and Mexico. Meanwhile, the Grand Prix Gold events are (in chronological order): Malaysia Masters, Syed Modi India International, Germany, Switzerland, China Masters, New Zealand, USA, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Bitburger, Korea Masters, Macau and Indonesia Masters. Fans will notice that the Thailand Open GPG, which was cancelled last season, is back while

The 2015 MetLife BWF World Superseries tour begins two months later than usual and with one of the most prestigious tournaments – the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships.

This new-look schedule – set to start with the famous event in Birmingham, England, in March – will afford elite players a two-month break in January and February to recuperate, rest and refresh themselves before the hectic season ahead.

This hiatus is not the only change to which players, officials and fans will have to get accustomed as there have been some changes in the sequence of the calendar, though the World Superseries circuit remains at 12 tournaments.

The All England will be followed by the Yonex-Sunrise India Open (24-29 March) and thereafter the Maybank Malaysia Open (31 March- 5 April) and the Singapore Open from 7-12 April. The next World Superseries event will be the Australian Open slated for 26-31 May, followed by the Indonesia Open (2-7 June).

After a two-month gap in July and August, the World Superseries tour resumes with the Yonex Open Japan from 8-13 September. That event will now be paired with the Korea Open – previously held in January – which is now rescheduled for 15-20 September. The Yonex Denmark Open (13-18 October) and the Yonex French Badminton Open (20-25 October) have retained their traditional back-to-back slots.

The last leg of the series consists of the China Open (10-15 November) and the Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships (17-22 November). The second edition of the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals will wrap up the World Superseries for 2015 but will be held a week earlier than 2014, with the season showdown scheduled for 9-13 December in the desert city.

The Level 3 tournament circuit (Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold) will see a few additions, making the year a busy one for

Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan will be aiming to defend their All England title when the MetLife BWF World Superseries gets going in March.

previous Grand Prix tournaments in New Zealand and Korea have been upgraded to Grand Prix Gold status.

Those participating in Level 4 events can expect to be in action through the year, with 28 International Challenge, 24 International Series and four Future Series events already fixed and more expected to confirm.

The two Major Events in 2015 are the BWF World Championships and the Sudirman Cup. While the Sudirman Cup is scheduled for 10-17 May in Dongguan, China, the World Championships are slated for 10-16 August in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lima, Peru, will host the BWF World Junior Championships from 4-15 November and Helsingborg, Sweden, will stage the BWF World Senior Championships from 20-26 September.

NEW-LOOk SEASON; NEW SUPErSEriES BrEAkDefending BWF Sudirman Cup champions – China – will seek to retain the World Mixed Team title on home turf in Dongguan in May.


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SHUTTLE TimE cELEBrATES 80TH imPLEmENTATiON

are now enrolled in an online training course monitored by Mr. Astwood,” said President of the Saint Lucia Badminton Association, Myrtle Alexander.“We are pleased about our potential in badminton and we will be seeking to bring in some players from neighbouring islands for a regional competition.”Elsewhere, Badminton New Zealand has innovatively divided Shuttle Time’s curriculum into three segments to propel its implementation in schools: bronze (fundamental movement skills); silver (technical skills) and gold (tactical skills).

“This is an example of how Shuttle Time can be flexible and adapted to various circumstances,” said BWF Development Director, Ian Wright. “It may be a format that other member associations want to emulate.”

BWF’s Shuttle Time programme recently reached important milestones in the Caribbean, celebrating its 75th and 80th implementations in Saint Lucia and Cuba respectively.This means almost half of BWF’s 180 member associations have now received this schools-based grassroots training which helps teachers develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to plan and deliver safe and fun badminton lessons to children. BWF’s vision is to make badminton “the most played school sport in primary and secondary schools worldwide”.In Cuba, persons from 16 provinces plus two representatives from Manuel Fajardo Sports University – at which the Shuttle Time pilot was hosted – participated in the programme. The course was organised by the Cuba Badminton Association (President Miguel Diaz Fernandez and staff) and was supported by the national sports institute and UNICEF. Theory and practical sessions were delivered by course instructor Professor Adrian Gomez while local badminton star and top Pan American Men’s Singles player, Osleni Guerrero, shared the story of how he got involved in badminton and his progress and current plans.

In total, 30 teachers and 21 tutors were trained and will now be responsible for spreading their badminton knowledge to other teachers and introducing children to the sport. In the longer term, the aim is to have badminton played in provincial games and then national games where talented youth may be recruited to the national youth team and follow in world-ranked No.49 Guerrero’s footsteps.Meanwhile, Shuttle Time was conducted in five Saint Lucian schools, with President of the Caribbean Badminton Regional Confederation Audley Astwood training local teachers and pupils. He also met with the country’s Minister of Youth Development and Sports Shawn Edward to discuss Saint Lucia’s adoption of badminton as a competitive sport. The minister welcomed the introduction of badminton into schools and expressed his ministry’s support for the programme. Noting badminton has been played in the country previously, Astwood explained the goal now is to get Saint Lucian players to a competitive level.Following Astwood’s six-day stint, Shuttle Time was introduced to more schools, resulting in 11 schools and about 240 students receiving practical demonstrations and basic training in the programme.“The respective PE teachers of those schools

New Zealand recently conducted two Shuttle Time programmes – at Badminton North Harbour’s headquarters and in Invercargill, South Islands. Badminton New Zealand recently announced that 42,423 New Zealand students took part in Shuttle Time in 2014.“The Shuttle Time programme is so well resourced and researched that delivery is the easiest part,” said Badminton New Zealand National Development Manager, Nick Chambers.“The programme gives coaches and teachers the knowledge they need to be confident in delivering a fun and effective experience. Across New Zealand this programme has been adopted in positive ways and coaches, teachers, students, Sports Trusts and other organisations are very impressed with it; how it is accessed and in turn delivered.”Shuttle Time has progressed rapidly since its first pilot in 2011. The programme was officially launched in 2012 and the target in BWF’s Strategic Plan was to have 50 implementations by 2016. As coaches and tutors reach out to thousands of children across the world, Shuttle Time has become one of the most active school sport programmes in the world.Shuttle Time currently has 15 language versions, over 750 trained tutors, over 4000 online registrations and over 440,000 views for its videos.

shuttle tiMe: NiGeria

shuttle tiMe: Cuba

the amount of equipment provided to bwF members for shuttle time so far.


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by capturing the honours as the 2014 outstanding players.

Chen Long, 25, copped the Male Player of the Year prize; having won his first Men’s Singles World Championship, two World Superseries titles and performed creditably throughout the year.

His team-mate Zhao was chosen Female Player of the Year following her outstanding double-gold run at the Li-Ning BWF World Championships, wresting both the Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles crowns, and seven victories on the World Superseries circuit – three with Tian Qing and four with Zhang Nan. The 28-year-old was also instrumental in China’s Uber Cup defence.

Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi (above, right), the two-time reigning World Junior champion,

Even before the first shuttle was served in the Dubai desert, some of badminton’s best were walking away with major trophies.

The BWF Player of the Year Awards – the federation’s annual nod to the season’s top performers – were announced at the Gala Dinner for the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals.

Fierce competitors like China’s Chen Long and Zhao Yunlei (above, left), as well as Japan’s blossoming Akane Yamaguchi, hardly need incentive beyond the glory of success to strive for excellence. However, this stellar trio received a timely boost ahead of the season-ending tournament

showed why she is highly rated as a star of the future by retaining the Most Promising Player of the Year award which she won for 2013. A runner-up at the China Open Superseries Premier and silver medallist at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, the 17-year-old also featured in Japan’s Uber Cup accomplishment in which they were runners-up to China.

BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund commended all nominees and emphasised that players’ interests are of the highest priority for BWF. As a result, players are increasingly being rewarded handsomely for their efforts. At the same time, he reminded them of their obligations towards media, sponsors and fans and disclosed that players and pairs in the top ten are being rewarded with a USD 400,000 jackpot. This, he explained, will be shared among the players based on their participation in media and sponsorship obligations such as press conferences, publicity events and official functions.

DUBAi TOASTS BEST OF 2014

mALE PLAyEr OF THE yEAr NOmiNEES• Chen Long• Lee Yong Dae• Lin Dan• Yoo Yeon Seong• Zhang Nan

FEmALE PLAyEr OF THE yEAr NOmiNEES• Li Xuerui • Christinna Pedersen• Wang Shixian• Wang Yihan• Zhao Yunlei

mOST PrOmiSiNg PLAyEr OF THE yEAr NOmiNEES• Chen Qingchen (F)• He Bing Jiao (F)• Lin Gui Pu (M)• Rosyita Eka Putri Sari (F)• Akane Yamaguchi (F)


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FiNAL-Ly – gLOry FOr LEE & yOO!

Long took home the Men’s Singles crown – 21-16 21-10 over Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus – and the unstoppable Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei wrested Mixed Doubles honours. The World champions defeated younger team-mates Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin, 21-15 21-12, in 41 minutes.

Meanwhile, last year’s Finals runner-up in Women’s Singles – Tai Tzu Ying – went a step better, capturing the title from Sung Ji Hyun of Korea. The Chinese Taipei player won comfortably, 21-17 21-12. In Women’s Doubles, Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi pulled off a stunning upset against World champions, Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei, with a 21-17 21-14 victory.

Tai Tzu Ying picked up where she left off last December and Korea’s Men’s Doubles titans finally got their hands on a big title as the 2014 season closed with the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals.

Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong were perilously close to losing their third major final before squeezing through 19-21 21-19 21-16 versus China’s blossoming pair, Chai Biao and Hong Wei. The world No.1 duo held their nerve to avoid similar disappointment to their narrow losses in the finals of the BWF World Championships and the Asian Games.

China still had lots to celebrate as Chen

mD – lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon seong (kor) beat Chai biao/hong wei (ChN) 19-21 21-19 21-16

WD - Misaki Matsutomo/ayaka takahashi (JpN) beat tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei (ChN) 21-17 21-14

mS – Chen long (ChN) beat hans-Kristian Vittinghus (DEN) 21-16 21-10

WS –tai tzu Ying (tpe) beat sung Ji hyun (kor) 21-17 21-12 XD – Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei (ChN) beat liu Cheng/bao Yixin (ChN) 21-15 21-12

Men’s Singles winnerMixed Doubles winners

Women’s Singles winnerMen’s Doubles winnersWomen’s Doubles winners

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Key Meetings en-‘gulf’ Dubai

Representatives of five Gulf countries – Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia – attended the BWF Gulf Region Development Forum where BWF officials showcased initiatives such as Shuttle Time, Coach Education, the World Academy of Sport’s courses and various BWF incentives for members.Held on the sidelines of the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals in December, the two-day meeting also allowed participants to build partnerships and look at how they can work together on regional tournaments, training camps and other developmental goals to spur badminton’s growth among Gulf states.

“It was a rich experience. We learned a lot about BWF, especially the programmes that can be used to help to develop badminton in countries from the Gulf region,” said Secretary General of Saudi Arabia Badminton Association, Dr. Yousif Al-thobaiti.

Badminton associations in the Arabian Gulf region have been briefed first-hand about the BWF’s development programmes and membership benefits while getting an opportunity to see the world’s best players in action.

“I was impressed with a lot of information and ideas that Presented in the workshop and many of these ideas as suitable to apply in the Gulf environment. The workshop was a great opportunity to meet with officials of the International Federation, as well as our brothers in the Gulf to activate badminton in this area. Many thanks to BWF for bringing everyone together.”Similar sentiments were echoed by Secretary General of Bahrain Badminton Association, Hisham Alabbasi,“This was an excellent opportunity to bring together badminton associations from the Gulf region and to open up communication links. We will now utilise BWF development programmes such as Shuttle Time and Coach Education to help us grow the sport in our own countries. I hope we can come together and organise a Gulf Cup Badminton Competition in 2015.”

BWF officials, including President Poul-Erik Høyer (centre), and representatives of badminton associations in the Arabian Gulf.

these women pay rapt attention in the bwF Gulf region Development Forum.

bwF Deputy president Gustavo salazar Delgado (right) attended the Gulf meeting along with bwF Development officials Ian Wright (left) and John Shearer.

Tournament officials listening to a presentation.

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progress further”.Noting the Yonex Open Japan will be aiming “to improve its sports presentation and attract more sponsorship”, he expressed particular interest Badminton Denmark’s use of LED (light-emitting diode) technology at the Li-Ning BWF World Championships last August; a development which could become more prominent in future badminton events.Director of Communication, Marketing & Event Management of the French Badminton Federation, Pascal Bildstein, said that member association is happy to adopt best practices being implemented elsewhere.

Chair of Development David Cabello noted that having the World Superseries Finals in Dubai was a “perfect opportunity for other Gulf nations to see badminton at its best” while also interacting with BWF officials to learn how the international federation functions and what developmental avenues may benefit them.“Having our Superseries Finals in Dubai is a wonderful mechanism to popularise badminton throughout this region and this year we have started by inviting our colleagues from other Gulf countries to come and see what we are doing and to discuss how we can help them develop badminton in their own nations. There are some good ideas which we look forward to seeing come to fruition.”

Meanwhile next-door hosts of BWF World Superseries and BWF Grand Prix Gold tournaments met with officials from BWF Events Department to discuss the 2015 season and plans for further development of badminton events. Among the topics was a review of 2014; a look at strategic objectives, best practices and innovative sports presentation; and a briefing on television-production requirements. “It’s important to share information and hear what other hosts are doing and discuss how we organise tournaments and ask questions. We are all working towards achieving the same goals and maybe we need these meetings more than once a year,” observed Boris Reichel, representing organisers of the German Open.Secretary General of Nippon Badminton Association, Shigemitsu Imai, stated most hosts work somewhat in isolation and “don’t know about each other’s tournaments so this is a good opportunity to share ideas and issues so that the World Superseries can

“We’re planning to tour to observe other events and see what other hosts do. We want to grow and make the French Open better but within what we can manage because we have a compact venue. This has been a great learning experience for me. It’s my first time here and it was very interesting,” he said.Tournament Director for the Australian Open, Loke Poh Wong, stated that, despite a good inaugural World Superseries in Sydney last June, Badminton Australia is keen to learn more because “we are newcomers to this level”.“We are happy to share info…we are all in this together and we can do more if we cooperate with each other. I’ve been listening to all the discussions here and thinking about various elements we can introduce to make our event better. I’m a big convert to the importance of sports presentation. It’s really important.”

bwF tournament hosts meeting in Dubai.

alastair ruxton of Falcon and associates addresses the hosts’ meeting.

badminton representatives of Gulf nations.

Nippon badminton association and Chinese taipei badminton association representatives.

bwF secretary General thomas lund in discussion with event hosts.

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SHUTTLiNg THrOUgH 2014Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong at the hands of their former playing partners and Korean team-mates, Ko Sung Hyun/Shin Baek Choel (4), was equally compelling while the iron-willed Zhao Yunlei of China became the first player to win two world titles at the same championships, wresting Women’s and Mixed Doubles honours.

The MetLife BWF World Superseries saw its usual array of thrills and spills with young guns such as Kidambi Srikanth (India), Kento Momota (Japan) and Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen signalling their lofty ambitions in Men’s Singles while Marin, Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei) and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi did likewise on the women’s side. The return of supremo, Lin Dan, caused a stir, especially as the Chinese Men’s Singles star blazed to significant successes, winning gold at the Asian Games, the Asian Championships, the first-ever World Superseries Australian Open and two Grand Prix Gold events. However, he didn’t have it all his way with a surprising loss to Srikanth in the China Open finale.

Doubles competitions were also riveting with Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi challenging China’s dominance in Women’s Doubles while Lee/Yoo came to the fore in the men’s format. Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir savoured a hat-trick of Mixed Doubles titles at the prestigious All England Championships while Zhang Nan/Zhao

What a year to remember - whether it was the amazament of a Spaniard snatching the coveted World Championship or para-badminton’s historic selection among the first 16 sports for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games or Japan’s stunning rout of China in the Thomas Cup!

Yes, all that and more happened in the badminton world in 2014.

As the international federation marked its 80th year in existence – and revealed plans to preserve its history with a digital museum – the sport showcased a succession of dramatic moments and unexpected twists.

On the courts, there were yet again some seismic shocks with Japan denying China a fifth-straight Thomas Cup victory, sweeping the defending champions 3-0 in the semi-finals, before taking the Men’s Team trophy versus a feisty Malaysia. Tongues were still wagging about those epic battles when, a few months later, Carolina Marin (3) delivered arguably the performance of the year to oust overwhelming favourite and world No.1, Li Xuerui of China, in the Women’s Singles showdown at the BWF World Championships.

Steely resolve and some gutsy strokeplay combined to catapult the promising Spaniard to the top of the podium; relegating the Olympic champ to runner-up for the second year straight. The Men’s Doubles upset of

Yunlei (5) were the dominant force on the circuit, with four titles even before the finals.

Denmark continued to be the main European threat to Asia with hard-fought triumphs for Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen; Jan Jorgensen; Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen and Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl throughout the season.

Dubai’s hosting of the year-ending BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals marked badminton’s coming-of-age in the Middle East region; the first of a four-year deal to stage the season-ender in this exquisite desert metropolis (7).

“We are extremely happy to welcome Dubai and the sense of style which it brings to the MetLife BWF World Superseries,” said BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer.

“Our tour is becoming increasingly popular and is televised in more than 160 countries with a household reach of more than 300 million. Dubai’s global connectivity, accessibility and track record in hosting world-class sporting events can only help us to grow the sport and make badminton even more accessible to fans.”

Another development embraced by spectators was the integration of instant reviews into the World Superseries and BWF Major Events. Thanks to world-famous Hawk-

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SHUTTLE TimE ON THE STrEETone of the main roads in lamongan, indonesia, was transformed into a racket-swinging, shuttle-hitting human chain in November as pbsi (the badminton association of indonesia) marked out 50 badminton courts and trained 60 teachers in the BWF’s schools-based grassroots programme. proudly showing off their newly-acquired skills, the teachers then delivered basic badminton lessons to 1,400 schoolchildren. on-lookers said they had “never seen anything like this”, with badminton courts spread out across the street for as far as they could see and children thoroughly enjoying themselves in an athletic activity.

BrAziLiANS Try ‘CopaCa-baDMinton’!

The BWF initiative which started in August used eight locations around Rio to spread knowledge of and build interest in badminton in the lead-up to next year’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

“Descubra O Badminton” was also utilized to link Olympic badminton to other BWF development projects in Brazil, including the implementation of the BWF’s schools-based grass roots programme, Shuttle Time.

The catchy tagline is a call-to-action for Brazilians to embrace and participate in badminton – a sport which offers great benefits and values – as the Olympics draw nearer.

In November and December, the Copacabana Beach – one of the most famous stretches of coastline in Rio – played host to “Descubra O Badminton” (Discover Badminton); a campaign to introduce Brazilians to badminton and increase awareness of the sport through interactive street activations and media coverage.

Eye Innovations, fans – both watching live and on television – can see challenges to line calls and the outcomes as they happen. This has proven a hit with the worldwide badminton family, especially players. Meanwhile, debate ensued over a potential change in the scoring system with many perspectives being voiced. Further testing of alternative options will be carried out in 2015.

Off-court, the biggest news was undoubtedly that para-badminton competitors (2) will be on court in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. In early October, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced badminton among the first 16 sports for the Games sports programme – another historic milestone in the sport’s development, particularly for badminton athletes with impairments.

“The lives of so many people are going to change. The dream of so many players around the world has come true!” declared Chair of BWF’s Para-Badminton Athletes’ Commission Richard Perot.

BWF also had reason to celebrate early in 2014, with the election of President Poul-Erik Høyer (6) to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its 126th session in Sochi, Russia. He was also elected to the International Masters Games Association.

On the development front, BWF’s Shuttle Time programme continued to spread rapidly and by year-end achieved its 80th implementation in Cuba. Meanwhile, the Equipment Donation Project (1) started impressively with eight member associations adopting lesser-developed badminton nations. Already nearly 1000 rackets have been collected for distribution to recipients as well as other equipment and clothing.

The international federation also stepped up its fight against corrupt practices such as illegal betting and match-fixing by signing up with the IOC’s Integrity Betting Intelligence System (IBIS).

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SHUTTLE WORLD - Jamaica Badminton Association