You can also follow the YONEX Swiss Open 2024 on BWF TV.

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

You can also follow the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2024 on BWF TV.

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

You can also follow the Orleans Masters Badminton presented by VICTOR 2024 on BWF TV.

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

You can also follow the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2023 on BWF TV.

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

The Top 8 qualifiers for the world’s richest badminton tournament have been unveiled with the remaining places in the HSBC Race To Finals rankings sealed over the weekend.

Hangzhou, China plays host to the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2023 from 13 to 17 December 2023, with a total prize pool of US$2.5 million on offer.

There are eight qualifying spots in each of the five categories, with a maximum of two players per Member Association, and a spot reserved for the reigning world champion.

Korea’s world champion An Se Young had an exceptional season with eight HSBC BWF World Tour titles from 10 finals, securing 119,890 points for first place. Olympic champion and local Hangzhou hero Chen Yu Fei finished second.

“I’m very happy that more and more international tournaments are coming to Hangzhou, and I feel very amiable to play in my hometown. I’ll enjoy the tournament itself and the atmosphere onsite. Compared to the last few times I participated in the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2023, I feel that I am getting more mature. I will do my best to win the championship.” – Chen Yu Fei.

Third-placed qualifier Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi remains in injury doubt. Korea’s Kim Ga Eun is next in line, with her semifinal finish at the LI-NING China Masters 2023 bumping her to 70,650 points and ninth place overall.

Kodai Naraoka’s 11,000 points from his title win at the LI-NING China Masters 2023 saw him lead the men’s singles HSBC Race To Finals rankings with 89,520 points.

Denmark’s Anders Antonsen was the last player to sneak in, awaiting the result of the Naraoka versus Kenta Nishimoto all-Japanese final in Shenzhen to determine his fate.

Nishimoto’s runner-up finish gave him a total of 77,570 points, falling just short of Antonsen’s 78,110.

Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan claimed top spot despite playing only 12 HSBC BWF World Tour tournaments. The world champions amassed 101,340 points thanks to five titles in seven finals.

Their young compatriots Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning, playing their first HSBC BWF World Tour season, qualified in fifth spot with 89,000 points.

China’s Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chen vaulted into first place in the HSBC Race To Finals rankings on the back of their thrilling final win at the LI-NING China Masters 2023.

World champions Kang Min Hyuk/Seo Seung Jae of Korea qualified in third place.

Hong Kong China’s Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet and Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei/Lee Chia Hsin were neck-and-neck before the LI-NING China Masters 2023. With Tang/Tse winning their second-round clash and going on to make the semifinals, they secured seventh place, ahead of Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei.

Three pairs crossed 100,000 points – China’s Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping and Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong, and world champions Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yu Jung.

BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said: “BWF is excited to promote Hangzhou as the official home of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, with world-class facilities and infrastructure.

“The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals is our signature season-ending finale, and thanks to HSBC we have been able to increase our overall commitment to the sport and players.

“We look forward to welcoming the season’s best players to Hangzhou as they compete for their share of the $US2.5 million – the most in the history of badminton.”

The draw will be held during the annual HSBC BWF World Tour Finals Gala Dinner on Monday 11 December. The winners of the BWF Player of the Year Awards will also be announced.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm Hangzhou, China as host city of the season-ending HSBC BWF World Tour Finals for the next four years.

Starting 2023, BWF unveiled a 31-event new World Tour calendar, with more Super 1000, Super 750, and Super 500 tournaments, bringing greater prize money opportunities for players.

BWF is now delighted to reveal the prestigious HSBC BWF World Tour Finals will head to Hangzhou for the entire cycle.

Hangzhou is home of the 19th Asian Games and is the perfect location for international badminton’s showpiece event. The 2023 edition will take place from 13-17 December.

BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund thanked Chinese Badminton Association (CBA) and the Hangzhou City Government for their commitment to the sport.

“It is with great excitement to confirm Hangzhou, China as the host of our flagship HSBC BWF World Tour Finals for this cycle,” Lund said.

“Badminton is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world with all-time high participation and fan numbers and Hangzhou with its superb sporting infrastructure and experience in staging elite international events is an ideal host for our finals.

“We look forward to the tour’s top eight players and pairs in each category fighting it out for glory in front of thousands of passionate fans.”

Chinese Badminton Association President, and BWF Chair of Events, Zhang Jun, added: “We are delighted to work with the BWF and Hangzhou City Government to bring the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals to China.

“With its profound history and popularity here, badminton activities are ubiquitous in Hangzhou. It is an honour for the local government to be the host for the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals. And all top players around the world are welcomed to gather in the city.”

Further details on the 2023 edition of HSBC BWF World Tour Finals will be released in the coming weeks.

The 42nd edition of BWF Newsletter Shuttle World is now available for download.

We preview the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2023 as well as introduce key speakers for the upcoming World Coaching Conference.

We also recap World Badminton Day and the BWF AGM and Members’ Forum.

Edition 42 – August 2023

• Milestones Aplenty – Message from the President
• Looking to Rewrite History – World Championships
• Copenhagen 2014 – the Crowning of Carolina
• BWF Continues CSR Outreach
• Milestone for Inclusive Badminton
• World Coaching Conference – 24 & 25 August
• Eye on the Future – BWF Members’ Forum
• New Deals for BWF
• Quarter 2 Updates
• Dream come True for Refugee Shuttler
• ‘Most Memorable’ says Zhang Jun

We hope you enjoy reading this edition.

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。”
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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。

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A badminton coaching session with refugees at the Hope and Dreams Festival in Jordan has sown the seeds of further developing the sport in refugee camps in the country.

The Hope and Dreams Festival, organised by the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) and World Taekwondo on 3 May 2024, was being held for the second successive year. The festival aims to support refugee children by using sports to promote peace, hope, and dreams. It involves leveraging existing sports programmes to create a supportive environment for displaced persons, enhancing their physical and mental well-being.

BWF had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with THF in 2019, and subsequently worked with refugee children at camps in Jordan and Lebanon.

The outbreak of Covid stalled badminton activities in the camps, but the collaboration was revived for this year’s Hope & Dreams Festival, which saw the participation of FIBA Foundation and Baseball5, apart from World Taekwondo.

Two days prior to the festival, BWF Vice-President – Asia Jassem Kanzo and BWF Dubai Badminton Development Manager Jaffer Ebrahim and visited the Azraq and the Zaatari refugee camps, where Ebrahim conducted a badminton demonstration with refugee children, using Shuttle Time activities which enabled them to get a feel of the sport.

Then, for the Hope and Dreams Festival, refugee children were invited to the Jordan national training centre where they participated in a coaching clinic, which was conducted with the support of Jordan Badminton Federation. Overall, more than 600 refugee children participated in the festival, engaging in sports such as baseball, taekwondo, basketball, and badminton.

BWF aims to continue badminton outreach in the Azraq camp, with the possibility of extending weekly training sessions and developing talent. Over the last few weeks, a coach from Jordan, Naim Saleh Abdul Qader Al-Waqfi, started badminton sessions in the Azraq camp to initiate children into the sport.

Commenting on the impact of badminton at the camp, Jassem Kanzo said: “The Hope and Dreams Festival proves that sports like badminton are powerful tools for change, providing refugee children opportunities for joy, growth, and resilience.”

Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai and Supanida Katethong were the toast of the home fans after acing their respective events at TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024.

Kititharakul/Prajongjai’s 21-14 21-14 win over Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi ended Thailand’s eight-year wait for women’s doubles champions after Puttita Supajirakul/Sapsiree Taerattanachai triumphed in 2016.

A teary-eyed Prajongjai said post-match: “This is one achievement we’ve dreamed about for a long time. And so many years that Thailand couldn’t celebrate winners in women’s doubles in our own backyard. This is an excellent experience.”

Kititharakul/Prajongjai had previously lost in three semifinals and finished runners-up in 2021. They were desperate not to let another opportunity slip.

“We had to win,” said Kititharakul, whose nickname is ‘Gift’. “We are closer to the end than the start of our careers so you never know if this is the last chance to do so.

“It’s also rare to have family, siblings and parents cheering us on at the venue. It was great to win for them in front of them. We will remember these happy memories forever.”

Earlier, Paris 2024 Olympic Games-bound Katethong set the tone for her best friends with the takedown of the top-seeded Han Yue in straight games. The world No.16 had defeated third seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the quarterfinals and second seed Wang Zhi Yi in the last four.

“I’m glad I won my first Super 500 at our home stadium. I’m so happy!” exclaimed the 26-year-old after the 21-16 25-23 result. “At this tournament, I’ve learned to be focused. I need to do away with my impatience. The Olympics will be a different ball game. I must improve my mental strength.”

Thailand, however, couldn’t complete a dream day as mixed doubles top seeds Taerattanachai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh lost the last match of the session 21-12 12-21 18-21 to Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui.

→ Results (Finals)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“When we were juniors, a lot of people said it would be difficult to overcome the Chinese and Indonesians but our results and the way we’ve been playing definitely give youngsters back home belief we can go out and beat the world’s best in doubles as well, not just singles.” – Chirag Shetty after he and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy won the tournament for the second time

“This is one of my career’s best showings. I know some top players didn’t come but this title means so much and boosts my confidence. I hope I can carry this momentum into the Malaysia Masters next week.” – Men’s singles champion Lee Zii Jia, who also takes home a second Thailand Open

Two of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty’s finest hours came in Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok.

The Indians bagged their first major title in 2019 at the Thailand Open and added what Rankireddy calls “the biggest achievement of our careers till date” – the Thomas Cup – three years later for their country.

The world No.3 men’s pair are now in another Bangkok showpiece match – the TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024 final – after cruising to it without dropping a game. In the 21-11 21-12 semifinal win over Chinese Taipei’s Lu Ming Che/Tang Kai Wei, they didn’t spend more than 35 minutes on court. Their lengthiest match all week was only three minutes longer.

Rankireddy/Shetty are keen to use the sweet experiences to extend their love affair with the country.

“We’ve always loved playing in Thailand. There’s a special bond – we won our first event here and also the Thomas Cup. Now one more final,” said Rankireddy. “My first medal at junior level was here as well. We have a lot of good memories and we want to add to it.”

Having won many prestigious titles in recent years and reached world No.1, Shetty looks back at their breakthrough in 2019 as the moment that lit something in them.

“(The impact) was immense,” said the 26-year-old. “Growing up watching greats like Ahsan/Setiawan, Boe/Mogensen and Lee Yong Dae do it, we had always dreamt of winning a SuperSeries. When we actually pulled it off, we couldn’t believe it.

“It’s an indescribable moment for both of us and then on, we’ve been able to believe in ourselves, that ‘yes, we can achieve great things together’.”

Rankireddy/Shetty’s 2019 crown remains India’s sole men’s doubles success in tournament history. Given the form they are in, and that their final opponents Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi sit 26 places below them on the world rankings, many view the outcome as a foregone conclusion.

The Asian Games gold medallists are careful not to make the mistake which previously cost them.

“There’ll be a lot of expectations in India, they are hoping for big things but we don’t want to let that get to the head,” said Rankireddy. “We didn’t perform well in the past when we did that. It’s one step at a time.”

→ Results (Semifinals)

→ Order of play (Finals)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“I’ve just got to believe in my own ability. If you focus on your strengths, you hopefully get good results.” – Guo Xin Wa on making the finals of his last three tournaments with different partners

“I knew I needed to be patient and use my speedy attacks. I couldn’t keep it up towards the end but I told myself to keep going. The fans cheering made me fight harder.” – Supanida Katethong after saving a match point to beat second seed Wang Zhi Yi

“I have to accept he did better in the end. I may have lost but I learned what to improve on.” – Kunlavut Vitidsarn after Ng Ka Long Angus ended his reign

Thailand tends to bring out the best in Ng Ka Long Angus.

The Hong Kong China shuttler won the 2020 Thailand Masters and played in three other finals –Thailand Open in 2019 and 2020 and the Masters last year. Tomorrow, he will contest another one at TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024 after stunning reigning champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-14 18-21 21-19 in a fierce last four battle that lasted 78 minutes.

“I think Thailand is my lucky place,” smiled Ng post-match. “I can’t explain the reason. But I can just play all out here every time and I’m always able to execute what I want.”

Leading 19-15 in the decider, Vitidsarn looked set to keep his title defence alive but Ng was not prepared to throw in the towel. Six winning rallies later, the 29-year-old powered into his fifth Bangkok final in five years.

“Beating him in his hometown makes it extra special,” added Ng. “Kunlavut is skillful and defensively good. I prepared exactly for this kind of match – a long one that would require physical and mental toughness.

“Being down 19-15 to the world champion isn’t easy but I kept telling myself to focus on my strategy and to remember how I prepared.”

Once ranked as high as sixth in the world, Ng’s injuries meant his consistency suffered. Now 27th, he’s in a title match 14 months after lifting the 2023 German Open hoping his injury troubles are truly behind him.

“After last year’s Taipei Open, I suffered a lot of injuries and illness. They set me back and affected my game,” he said.

“But I’ve been working with my new coach for almost 10 months, and I’m happy I finally got a good run here. Hopefully there’s more to come.”

Ng’s final opponent will be Lee Zii Jia, who overcame Chou Tien Chen 18-21 21-12 21-13. Lee acknowledged Ng’s steady work this week.

“He’s been performing quite well here beating the first seed Anders (Antonsen) and the defending champion. Looks like he’s regaining his best form, it will be a difficult match,” said the 2022 winner.

Vitidsarn’s loss meanwhile, prolongs the host nation’s wait for a first back-to-back singles champion.

The significance of the TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024 quarterfinal victory to Supanida Katethong cannot be overstated, according to the player herself.

Not because it’s her first semifinal above the Super 300 level in over a year. Not because she ended a five-year wait to beat her opponent. And not because she’s finally through to a Thailand Open semifinal.

Rather, the last four berth comes just two months out from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, into which she snuck towards the tail-end of the qualifying window. And that it was achieved against a player of Gregoria Mariska Tunjung’s calibre was another timely morale booster.

“It’s such a meaningful win. It shows I’m capable of reaching the next level,” stressed the 26-year-old lefthander, currently the world No.16. “It tells me I can compete against the top 10 players, and that I deserve my place at the Olympics. It gives me a lot of belief with Paris just round the corner.

“Obviously there’s a lot to improve on but I’ll work hard in training – there’s about 20 per cent left to reach the best version of Supanida.”

Katethong took pride in the way she accomplished the 14-21 22-20 22-20 win – her first over Tunjung since 2017, ironically, at the same venue and tournament. Having dropped the opener, she raced from 16-13 down to salvage the second game, then saved a match point in the third before sealing the deal.

“It was high pressure and got uncomfortable at times. Tunjung’s style isn’t my favourite to play against, she’s very tricky and her wristwork is really good. You can’t afford to switch off,” said Katethong.

“I didn’t stop believing and my coach’s feedback was a big help. I managed to stay calm and focused in difficult moments.”

Katethong will be among a host of first-time Olympians in France. Outside the qualifying places as recent as late March – a month before the Race to Paris concluded – her runner-up finish at the Spain Masters meant she picked up just about enough points to win her golden ticket and accompany Ratchanok Intanon to the Summer Games.

Consequently, Thailand became only the fourth nation after Korea, China and Japan to have two women’s singles representatives in Paris.

But first, in the shape of second seed Wang Zhi Yi awaits a test Katethong is yet to ace after three attempts. Win that, and the Paris 2024 confidence bank swells further.

→ Results (Day 4)

→ Order of play (Day 5)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“We realise we are underdogs but we’ve got more confidence from our breakthrough here and knowing our hard work in training over the last month has been beneficial.” – Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat after she and Ruttanapak Oupthong reached their first World Tour semifinal

“Good defence, good control and a lot of running.” – Chou Tien Chen on what he must do against Lee Zii Jia

“This should be the start of my comeback. I will not treat this as the final chapter. Although I couldn’t make the Olympics, I’m only 30 years old. I can go on for a few more years.” – Ng Ka Long Angus believes his injury problems are behind him

Last Friday, BWF sent out the invitation lists for qualifiers for the Olympic Games (linked here) and Member Associations have until Friday 24 May (next Friday) to consult their NOC, and then write back to the BWF confirming acceptance of each qualified player invited.

Participation Rules – Paris 2024

Your NOC is the key contact for information on the  participation rules for athletes and team members going to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Here is a reminder of some of the main rules related to participation at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

1. Anti-Doping Regulations for the Games (linked here)
2. Guidelines for Authorised Identification

• IOC – General Guidelines – Rule 50 (linked here)
• Badminton Specific Guidelines (linked here)

3. Rule 40 – Commercial Opportunities for Participants
4. Guidelines for Athlete Expression (linked here)
5. Social and Digital Media Guidelines (linked here)
6. Safeguarding at the Olympic Games

Please contact your NOC if you need more information, see the contact details below or look at the BWF website (linked here) for more information.

Please also forward this to coaches and team managers are going to the Games and ensure your delegation for Paris 2024 is aware of all these rules.

1. Anti-Doping Regulations for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The IOC Anti-Doping Regulations for Paris 2024 (linked here) apply for the Games. Key points to note are:

• The above regulations are in force from 18 July to 11 August 2024 (the day of the Opening of the Olympic Village up to and including the day of the Closing Ceremony).
• In-competition period for testing badminton athletes is 11.59 p.m. on 26 July to midnight on 5 August (the last day of the Badminton Competition).
• Testing can take place at any time, any place before and after the Games with no advance warning.
• Athletes must provide sufficient details of ‘Whereabouts’ such as block number, room number in the Olympic Village, location of training during the Games, place of pre Games training.

BWF will send out more information next week, including pre Games education programmes.

2. Guidelines for Authorised Identification – Paris 2024

The IOC and Paris 2024 publish general and sport-specific guidelines on authorised identifications for each Olympic Games. This relates to the commercial branding (size, number, locations) participants are able to have on Games time team uniforms and badminton uniforms for competitions (clothing, socks, shoes, wrist bands, shoes) – see the below and contact your NOC if you have questions.

Before players go on court for matches, uniforms are checked to ensure they comply with IOC / Paris 2024 guidelines.

• IOC General Guidelines – Authorised Identification (linked here) Rule 50 – Olympic Charter – these general principles apply to all participants with accreditation at the Games – including athletes, coaches, team managers and other team members.
• Badminton Specific Guidelines for Authorised Identifications – English (linked here) / French (linked here).
• Online version of the Guidelines – English (linked here) / French (linked here).
• NOC Team Apparel Guidelines (linked here).

3. Rule 40 – Commercial Opportunities for Participants – Paris 2024

The IOC publishes resources on how participants (including athletes) can engage in and benefit from commercial activities around the Games. Three IOC resources are published on the Athlete365 platform (linked here) and these are linked here for convenience:

• Paris 2024 – Rule 40 – Frequently Asked Questions – March 2024 (linked here)
• Paris 2024 Rule 40 – Illustrative Guidelines – March 2024 (linked here)
• Paris 2024 – Commercial Opportunities for Athletes – March 2024 (linked here)

4. Guidelines for Athlete Expression – Paris 2024

The IOC has published guidelines on how athletes can express themselves during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

• Guidelines on Athlete Expression – Paris 2024 (linked here)

Athletes at the Olympic Games are part of a global community and they have many different views, lifestyles and values. The mission of the Olympic Games is to bring the global community together and to facilitate understanding, respect and acceptance of this diversity.

It is a fundamental principle that sport at the Olympic Games is neutral and must be separate from political, religious or other types of interference.

The focus on the field of play and competitions, during official Games ceremonies (medal / opening / closing ceremonies) must be on celebrating athletes’, athlete performance and their achievements. The Athletes Village must also be a place to provide respectful conditions for all athletes from around the world.

There are however other situations and locations at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games where athletes can freely express themselves. See guidelines above, and especially page 3 on locations.

5. IOC Social and Digital Media Guidelines for Paris 2024

The main objective of these guidelines is to enable athletes to share their personal experiences at the Olympic Games while protecting the rights of the IOC’s media rights-holders.

• IOC Social and Digital Media Guidelines – Paris 2024 (linked here)

Here are a few basic examples from the guidelines, however please open the link and read the guidelines for a full understanding of what athletes can do / and cannot do. The guidelines also are relevant to other accredited guests at the Games.

5. Safeguarding at the Games – Safe Sport Zone – at the Athletes Village

The IOC is committed to ensuring that the Olympic Games are a safe sporting environment. This applies to all participants, but especially athletes at the Games.

During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games there will be a Safe Sport Zone at the Athletes Village Fitness Centre.

• IOC Safeguarding Officers will be available for confidential support and consultations.
• An AI powered tool will be used to detect and respond to cyber abuse towards athletes and officials during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Paris 2024 will host an Athlete365 Mindzone located at the Athletes’ Village which will provide services to support athletes’ positive mental health while at the Games.

More information will follow on this.

Contacts / More Information

Please contact the following people if you need more information:

• Anti-Doping – Andy Hines-Randle – [email protected]
• Authorized Identification – Chris Trenholme – [email protected]
• Other Guidelines – Stuart Borrie – [email protected]

BWF Membership Grant Programme 2024

The BWF is pleased to announce that the application process for the Membership Grant Programme 2024 will open on Friday 31 May 2024. All Member Associations will be contacted directly by the Membership Grants Team ([email protected]) outlining their eligibility status, application process and criteria.

Recipients of BWF Membership Grant Programme for the year 2023 and previous years who have yet to finalise and submit their end-of-year reporting will be deemed ineligible to apply for the BWF Membership Grant Programme in 2024.

Membership Capacity Building is a key focus in the new 2024-2028 BWF Strategic Plan. As such, it is our intention to increase support provided to Member Associations through the Membership Grant Programme during this period, with a scaled funding approach starting in 2025. Please note that this support will only be open to Member Associations with a long-term strategic plan in place.

More Information / Contact Person

Should you have any questions relating to your Member Association’s reporting for the years 2020-2023 and/or eligibility for 2024, please email [email protected].

Seasoned pros Kim Gi Jung and Kim Sa Rang are not quite done with making waves on the HSBC BWF World Tour.

At the Nimibutr Stadium yesterday, the Koreans rolled back the years to send men’s doubles second seeds Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana packing from the TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024, and surprised themselves in the process.

“We didn’t expect to win so we were quite relaxed going on to the court. That helped,” said the 34-year-old Sa Rang after winning 22-20 21-13.

“Because we had a match yesterday, we were able to adapt to the conditions, which were favourable to us. We adapted to the shuttle speed and everything faster than our opponents so we started believing we could win and became more focused.”

Gi Jung, 33, added: “We always play to our strengths regardless of the opponents. We try not to adapt to their tactics. That worked out well.”

The Kims, unrelated to each other, have been around the badminton circuit since the noughties and as a pair bagged some of the most important titles the sport has to offer, including the Asia Championships, Indonesia Open and China Open, reaching a career-high world No.2 in 2016. They split the same year but reunited post COVID three years ago.

With most of their peers now retired, how long more do they see themselves going?

“We just want to focus on the upcoming tournaments in Malaysia (Masters) and Singapore (Open),” answered Sa Rang. “We don’t have long-term goals as we are independent players. Let’s see where this journey takes us.”

Gi Jung asserted: “We are still very much full-time shuttlers, we train at our clubs daily. Badminton still matters to us.”

After getting back together, Gi Jung/Sa Rang won the Korea Masters in 2022 on the World Tour. Lying 106th on the world rankings, they currently have four Korean men’s pairs above them, including world champions Kang Min Hyuk/Seo Seung Jae.

Their quarterfinals opponents from Chinese Taipei, Chiang Chien Wei/Wu Hsuan Yi, whom they have never faced, are also 39 spots in front of them.

→ Results (Day 3)

→ Order of play (Day 4)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“My desire for perfection set me back. I wanted to be flawless in every rally only to end up making too many mistakes. I’m trying to move away from that.” – Lee Chia Hao on why it’s taken him eight months to reach a Super 500 quarterfinal

“You’ve got to have faith in yourself and your game. It’s not over until it’s over. I kept fighting, I kept believing.” – Lu Guang Zu after coming from 18-12 behind in the rubber game to beat Koki Watanabe

“I needed to be brave. I just went for it in the third game.” – Komang Ayu Cahya Dewi on defeating the higher-ranked Sim Yu Jin

“Playing in my hometown, I just want to be happy. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, I’ve worked hard, I want to take away good memories from this event.” – Jongkolphan Kititharakul

Leong Jun Hao gave himself a big pat on the back after a fighting display almost knocked out home favourite and defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn from the TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024 second round.

Leong and Vitidsarn, rivals in their junior days, served up a gruelling 92-minute thriller, leaving fans on the edge of their Nimibutr Stadium seats in Bangkok.

Leong edged the opener 22-20 before Vitidsarn took the second game 21-14. The decider was nip and tuck with the world champion unable to establish a lead of more than two points after the interval. Trailing 19-18, Leong’s two straight points left him with a chance to wrap up proceedings but Vitidsarn aced three of the last four rallies to seal his progress.

“I played well and was consistent throughout but I was maybe missing a bit of luck,” said Leong, who came into the match 3-1 ahead in the head-to-head.

“I give myself 10 marks (out of 10) for effort. What I had, what I needed, I was able to produce. I squeezed every last inch out, it just wasn’t my day.”

Following today’s showing and his decent performance two weeks ago at the Thomas Cup, where he beat higher-ranked Koki Watanabe and Ng Ka Long Angus, the world No.37 is optimistic there’s more to come from him.

“I learned a lot in Chengdu and beat some established names. I came away feeling more confident in my ability,” said the 24-year-old.

“I’m participating at higher level tournaments frequently now. As I play more matches against the top shuttlers, I will improve. The experience will make me a better player for sure.”

Three men’s singles contenders in the upper half of the draw – top seed Anders Antonsen, fifth seed Prannoy H. S. and sixth seed Loh Kean Yew – all exited the TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024 in the first round today.

Prannoy’s straight games loss to Meiraba Luwang Maisnam was the biggest shock; his opponent who got through qualification rounds had never won an HSBC BWF World Tour match.

“I approached it like any other duel and (for some reason) I was feeling more confident than usual. I’m excited for the next battle,” Maisnam, who looked unfazed throughout the 21-19 21-18 win despite playing an Olympic-bound countryman for the maiden time, said.

“If I keep training the way I train, I could play way better than this,” added the 21-year-old world No.84.

Meanwhile, Ng Ka Long Angus finally bested Antonsen after losing all four previous encounters. The Hong Kong China shuttler took advantage of Antonsen’s growing frustrations caused by his error-prone display to seal the 21-18 14-21 21-15 victory in 75 minutes. It marked Ng’s first win over a seed since overcoming Lee Zii Jia at the Korea Open in July.

“I’m really satisfied because this is the first time I beat him,” said Ng, runner-up of the YONEX Thailand Open 2020. “Also, I’ve waited long for a win over a seeded player so it’s a meaningful result.

“I was very poor against him at the Thomas Cup. I totally lost the net game but I learned from that experience. This time I was really focused and tried to be more aggressive at the net. I hardly made mistakes in the decider.”

Singapore’s Loh was the first to fall, his 21-15 21-13 defeat ending a run of four successive victories dating back to 2019 over Wang Tzu Wei.

“All my losses were in three games so they were close matches. It was important I didn’t let him move me around much. I had more time to react to his shots,” said Wang.

→ Results (Day 2)

→ Order of play (Day 3)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“I came into this tournament with my confidence boosted from my performance at the Uber Cup. It helped today.” – Sim Yu Jin, who aced four of her five assignments in Chengdu, after knocking out fifth seed Zhang Yi Man

“We let them dictate the first game but we changed our strategy in the second. Also, there was less pressure on us because as seeds they were expected to win.” – Junaidi Arif after he and Yap King Roy saw off sixth-seeded Lu Ching Yao/Yang Po Han