WORLD SHUTTLNOVEMBER 2017 - JANUARY 2018 / EDITIONE NO. 20 Celebrating the new HSBC BWF World Tour with a toast are (from left) BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund; BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer; Deputy Secretary General of Guangzhou City Government, Zhang Jianhua; Chief Executive Greater China of HSBC, Helen Wong; Deputy Director – General of Guangzhou Sports Administration, Lin Yan Fen; Vice Secretary General of the Chinese Badminton Association, Feng Pingshan; and Deputy Director – General of Guangzhou Sports Administration, Wu Min Chun. HIGHLIGHTS HONOUR FOR ‘MINIONS’, CHEN QINGCHEN (PAGE 5) SHUTTLING THROUGH 2017 (PAGES 11 & 12) BIGGERBadminton players are set to cash in big time from DubaiBUCKS to $120,000 and US$126,000 respectively. the Badminton World Federation’s remodelled Runners-up in both singles and doubles will pocket tournament circuit, now boasting almost US$13 US$60,000. million in prize money. KEY DATES The three HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000 events As the new HSBC BWF World Tour revs up with – YONEX All England Championships, China Open 09-14 January Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters (Super 300), Bangkok its first four events in January, players are eyeing and Indonesia Open – are each offering at least 16-21 January Perodua Malaysia Masters (Super 500), Kuala Lumpur larger pay days this year. Collectively, the five-tier US$1 million in prize money. The Indonesia Open 23-28 January Daihatsu Indonesia Masters (Super 500), Jakarta HSBC BWF World Tour boasts US$12 million in is the most lucrative, giving away US$1.25 million, prize money while the 11 events in the sixth tour 30 Jan-04 Feb Yonex-Sunrise Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta India Open (Super with singles winners receiving US$87,500 each 500), New Delhi level – the BWF Tour Super 100 – are offering and doubles winners US$92,500 (per pair). This is 06-07 February Victor Oceania Men’s & Women’s Team Championships, nearly another million dollars altogether. Hamilton a jump from last season when singles champions in Jakarta took home US$75,000 and doubles 06-11 February Badminton Asia Team Championships, Alor Setar The jewel in the crown – the HSBC BWF World Tour 08-11 February Victor Oceania Championships (Individual), Hamilton Finals in Guangzhou, China – boasts badminton’s winners US$79,000. The All England and China 12-15 February All Africa Men’s & Women’s Team Championships, Algiers biggest bonanza – a US$1.5 million jackpot. Open have seen a cash spike too, with singles 13-18 February European Men’s & Women’s Team Championships, Winners’ cheques will increase by 50 per cent from winners assured of US$70,000 and doubles Kazan US$80,000 (singles) and US$84,000 (doubles) in winners US$74,000. 15-18 February Pan Am Male & Female Continental Team Championships, Tacarigua Continues on Page 4 16-18 Feburary All Africa Individual Championships, Algiers 20-25 February Yonex Swiss Open (Super 300), Basel 27 Feb-04 March Spain Open (Super 300), Bilbao 06-11 March Yonex German Open (Super 300), Mulheim-An-Der-Ruhr HAPPY NEW YEAR 14-18 March Yonex All England (Super 1000), Birmingham FROM ALL OF US AT BWF 27 Mar-01 Apr Orleans Masters (Super 100), Orleans BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 2 EDITORIAL Dear Colleagues and Friends May I begin by wishing you all a Happy New Year! It is hard to believe how quickly 2017 flew by and that we have started another season – indeed a new tournament cycle and format – with exciting prospects beckoning badminton into the future. In January, we at the Badminton World Federation launched our remodelled world tour and presented HSBC as our Principal Global Partner in an extensive sponsorship agreement that will catapult badminton to unprecedented heights. HSBC will have a corporate presence across BWF’s entire suite of events – title-sponsoring the new HSBC BWF World Tour and the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou, China, for the next four years as well as becoming a sponsor for the BWF Major Events (World Championships, Sudirman Cup and Thomas & Uber Cup Finals). The banking group has also been named BWF Global Development Partner, working with our Development team to grow badminton globally. I am pleased to welcome HSBC to the badminton family. This is a significant milestone in our federation’s history. We are stepping boldly into the future with a partnership that will define badminton for the ages. HSBC enjoys a cachet that is the envy of the banking world. It has distinguished itself across the panorama of sport as a brand of excellence – a brand with which BWF is proud to partner. Poul-Erik Høyer We also look forward to partnering with the city of Guangzhou and the Chinese BWF President Badminton Association for the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals. China is a crucial badminton market and we are pleased to entrust one of our flagship tournaments to Guangzhou for the next four years. I would like to thank our colleagues in Guangzhou for working with BWF to host a wonderful launch event on Monday 8 January. See you in December for the tour finals. In addition, 2018 has seen us enter fully into our agreement with Wanda – through its subsidiary Infront Sports & Media – for the centralised media and sponsorship rights of all BWF tournaments. It is a busy time for all involved, including our corporate partners, hosts and staff, and we appreciate the diligence and hard work which everyone has been doing. Amid ushering in this ground-breaking era, we bade farewell to the Dubai World Superseries Finals – the glamorous season finale which our top performers have enjoyed for the just-concluded, four-year tournament cycle. It was an amazing showpiece which set new benchmarks in organisation and presentation. Additionally, it was a platform for launching our development initiatives in the United Arab Emirates, including the grassroots programme, Shuttle Time; coach education; and training for para-badminton players and officials. I wish to thank the Dubai Sports Council as well as Falcon and Associates for partnering with us on this remarkable and successful journey. The BWF will always have fond memories of Dubai. I would like to thank MetLife also – title sponsor of the BWF World Superseries since January 2014. There is no doubt badminton flourished in this union which elevated our sport in the realm of global sports-entertainment commodities. MetLife brand has an impressive global reputation with which BWF was proud to be associated and we appreciate MetLife’s contribution. Meanwhile, there has been much to salute on the courts, with some outstanding successes in three signature tournaments: the BWF World Junior Championships 2017, the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships 2017 and the Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017. Congratulations to all medallists and winners at these events and to the hosts in Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Ulsan (Korea) and Dubai for superb hospitality and organisation. As I draw to a close, I wish to touch on BWF’s testing of an Experimental Service Law (Fixed Height) from 1 March, 2018. A change to the Laws of Badminton, stemming from a proposal by the Badminton Association of Malaysia, will mandate that “the whole of the shuttle shall be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket”. The first event of the new BWF tournament series at which this experimental law will be introduced is the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2018. The serve is an integral part of badminton and BWF has been seeking ways to improve how the service laws are applied. We hope this experiment will yield positive feedback from our membership, especially players. In closing, please allow me to extend condolences to the family and friends of the late Erik Meijs – a Dutch player who passed away in November – and to the family and colleagues of late Danish administrator, John Hansen, who died in mid-January. May they rest in peace. Poul-Erik Høyer BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION www.bwfbadminton.com PAGE 3 The Swiss city of Basel will create history next year – hosting the badminton and para-badminton World Championships simultaneously HISTORIC ‘PARA’-LLEL in August. In a landmark decision, the BWF Council has accepted Swiss Badminton’s enterprising bid to hold the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships 2019 jointly with the TOTAL BWF World CHAMPIONSHIPS Championships 2019. The first-ever dual staging of these BWF Major Events will take place at St. Jakobshalle, a venue with 9,000 seats. IN BASEL BWF’s announcement underlined the federation’s commitment to its goal of developing para-badminton in tandem with badminton. “This is a momentous occasion for BWF and Swiss Badminton – and for the development of our sport and athletes; bringing able-bodied athletes and athletes with impairments together to showcase their talents under the same roof with their World Championships being held at the same time,” declared BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer. He noted that, since assuming responsibility for para-badminton in June 2011, BWF’s avowed mission has been to develop that branch of the sport along the same lines as badminton – with the motto One Sport - One Team. “The spectacle of two World Championships, being jointly staged, will propel this philosophy to a unique level. It will be amazing to see and we must congratulate Swiss Badminton on their innovative and ambitious thinking. They have convinced us – the BWF Council – that they can deliver these tournaments, to world-class standards together, and we look forward to this historic occasion,” added Høyer. “It will surely raise the bar for hosting premier sporting events.” Having first mooted the idea of joint World Championships last March when they bid successfully for the TOTAL BWF World Championships 2019, Swiss Badminton pursued their objective with a follow-up bid for the para-badminton showpiece.