WORLD SHUTTLOCTOBER 2014 - JANUARY 2015 / EDITION ENO. 8 HIGHLIGHTS NEW-LOOK SEASON; NEW SUPERSERIES BREAK (PAGE 4) SHUTTLING THROUGH 2014 (PAGE 9) KEY DATES 13-18 January Yonex Sunrise Malaysia Masters 2015 (Grand Prix Gold), Kuching 20-25 January Syed Modi International Badminton Championships 2015 (Grand Prix Gold), Lucknow 12-15 February 2015 European Mixed Team BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer (left) and Total Marketing & Services Asia Pacific, Senior Vice President, Championships, Leuven (Belgium) François Dehodencq, exchange corporate gifts to mark the new partnership. 12-15 February X-TRM Oceania Championships 2015, Auckland 24 February Yonex German Open 2015 (Grand Prix -01 March Gold), Mulheim an der Ruhr TOTAL AND BWF 03-08 March Yonex All England Open Badminton – NEW ENERGY IN BADMINTON Championships 2015 (Superseries The Badminton World Premier), Birmingham Federation (BWF) and energy giant, Total, have announced 10-15 March Swiss Open 2015, Basel a landmark multi-million-dollar partnership from 2015 until 2018 covering both BWF Major Yonex Sunrise India Open 2015 Events and the MetLife BWF 24-29 March (Superseries), New Delhi World Superseries. This deal will see Total assume 31 March-05 April Maybank Malaysia Open 2015 title sponsorship for all BWF (Superseries Premier), Kuala Lumpur 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.” HAPPY 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 NEW YEAR 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. 2015 “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.” BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION www.bwfbadminton.org PAGE 2 EDITORIAL 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 Poul-Erik Høyer prepare for their historic, inaugural participation in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo BWF President 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 BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION www.bwfbadminton.org PAGE 3 PARA-BADMInton: INTEGRatING TOURNAMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT 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. 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). “We have a good spread of events for 2015 and we are planning various developmental activities, such as a Stage 1 International The recent and upcoming combination of 1 International Classifiers, and this included Classifier training course, to be held in tournaments and development activities is the first-hand perspectives from Classifiers. conjunction with one of the International latest and surest sign that para-badminton is tournaments in Europe or at the World on a sound pathway towards its debut in the Further development initiatives are taking Championships. We’re trying to take as 2020 Paralympic Games. place in January in Africa (Uganda) and much advantage as possible of gatherings Asia (Malaysia). The Uganda forum early in of the para-badminton community to stage The announcement last October that the month focused on developing players’ our development programmes as it’s a badminton athletes with impairments have a skills and knowledge of para-badminton and natural fit.” chance to realise their dreams of competing on building the quality of para-badminton at the highest level came amid a flurry of coaching by sharing ideas to enhance para-badminton action, with continental coaching practice. Later in the month (22-25 championships either on the horizon or January), Malaysia will host a Para-Badminton having just taken place in Asia (Korea), Training Camp along with a BWF research Europe (Spain) and Pan America (Cuba) project to gather data from 20 athletes in the while various development programmes were SL 3 and SL 4 Sport Classes. This is part of happening around the world. BWF’s ongoing goal to have an evidence- based classification system underpinned Para-badminton has been evolving on by research data. The research project multiple fronts, with a developing tournament has a multi-disciplined approach using circuit and a strong focus on introducing biomechanics, kinesiology, and physiology. interested persons to the requirements of The training camp will bring ten coaches and becoming technical officials, classifiers and 20 players together to share expertise and to other support staff and ensuring players train and work together to enhance practice.