SHUTTLE WORLD
JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 / EDITION NO. 11
ROYALLY GOOD!
Badminton recently received some royal publicity at one of the
leading medical institutions in Spain.
During a visit to the Paraplegic Hospital in Toledo, His Majesty King
Felipe VI took to the badminton courts with some of the patients
as he tried out a number of sports which are used as part of the
rehabilitation programmes.
The Paraplegic Hospital is the most important medical centre for the
treatment of spinal injuries in Spain and one of the most important
in Europe. Patients there practise badminton twice weekly, thanks
to an arrangement with Castilla-La Mancha Badminton Federation
(the regional federation and a member of Badminton Spain) which
provides trainers.
The aim of these sessions is to increase the range of movement,
both for patients who can stand and those who are wheelchairbound like Erik (pictured with King Felipe). Trainers have indicated
that patients who practise badminton regularly improve their
movement and upper-body coordination.
Photo: © Casa S.M. El Rey
highlights
Golden Triple for Lee
and Choong (PAGEs 3-4)
‘Yun-ique’ Zhao Doubles
– Again! (PAGE 6)
key dates
13-18 October
Yonex Denmark Open
(Superseries Premier), Odense
20-25 October
Yonex French Open
(Superseries), Paris
27 October
-01 November
Bitburger Badminton Open
(Grand Prix Gold), Saarbrucken
03-08 November
Jeonju Victor Korea Masters
(Grand Prix Gold), Jeonju
04-08 November
BWF World Junior Championships
– Team Championship
(BWF Major Event), Lima
10-15 November
Thaihot China Open
(Superseries Premier), Fuzhou
10-15 November
BWF World Junior Championships
– Individual Championships
(BWF Major Event), Lima
17-22 November
Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open
(Superseries), Kowloon
24-29 November
Yonex Brasil Open (Grand Prix)
– Rio 2016 Test Event, Rio de Janeiro
24-29 November
Macau Open
(Grand Prix Gold), Macau
01-06 December
Yonex Sunrise Indonesian Masters
(Grand Prix Gold), Malang, East Java
09-13 December
Dubai World Superseries Finals
(Superseries Premier), Dubai
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
BADMINTON
FOR
HOPE
BWF AND IOC TEAM UP IN HAITI
As BWF zeroes in on 100 Shuttle Time
implementations globally by December, the
grassroots initiative continues to thrive in Haiti
thanks to collaboration between the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) and BWF.
The manner in which badminton is growing in Haiti
is an excellent example of how BWF has embraced
like-minded organisations to develop the sport
worldwide as it strives to live up to its goal – and
motto – of “Giving Every Child a Chance to Play”.
Ravaged by a deadly earthquake in January 2010,
Haiti’s sporting rejuvenation has benefited from the
Sport for Hope Centre, opened last year in Portau-Prince by IOC President Thomas Bach. This
establishment – a joint venture by the IOC, its key
stakeholders and the Haitian government – features
modern sporting facilities and offers Haitians the
opportunity to experience various sports, including
badminton. The partnership between the Sport
for Hope Centre and BWF resulted from Shuttle
Time’s initial success in Haiti and, importantly, the
advantage of having active Shuttle Time tutors
in place. These factors significantly influenced
badminton’s selection as a core sport in the Sport
for Hope Centre.
Shuttle Time was first introduced to the Caribbean
island in 2012 with the help of Haitian Badminton
Federation, Peace and Sport and the Badminton
Pan Am Confederation. The objectives included
developing a local workforce to deliver badminton
in schools and communities, creating opportunities
for children to be active and experience fun, and
introducing a schools’ badminton competition.
Thereafter, BWF and Badminton Pan Am maintained
support for badminton development in Haiti through
further Shuttle Time activities.
However, thanks to the Sport for Hope Centre,
badminton and Shuttle Time are now on firmer
footing with Shuttle Time sessions being held there
daily as well as in schools throughout Haiti. In
December 2014, Guillaume Gailly – a BWF Shuttle
Time trainer from France – delivered Shuttle Time
Tutor/Teacher training to 22 participants at the wellequipped Centre; some of whom were full-time
sports trainers working there. The multi-purpose
complex accommodates 14 Olympic sports,
besides having classrooms, a fitness centre, a
medical centre, changing rooms and a gazebo. The
badminton hall can hold six courts.
Continues on page 5
BWF’s integrity campaign
…coming soon!
www.bwfbadminton.org
PAGE 2
editorial
Dear Colleagues and Friends
Over the past few months, we have celebrated the successes of worthy winners in three
different World Championships and have continued to see amazing talent emerge from
across the global spectrum.
In mid-August, the TOTAL BWF World Championships took centrestage in Jakarta,
Indonesia and yet again China’s Chen Long and Carolina Marin of Spain stood tall in the
singles categories. There was also an incredible repeat for Zhao Yunlei; the Chinese star
retaining her Doubles double in the Women’s and Mixed disciplines, with partners, Tian
Qing and Zhang Nan respectively.
Poul-Erik Høyer
BWF President
Finally, could even the most partisan fan deny what a fitting finale it was for our gracious
hosts, Indonesia, to claim the last gold medal of the tournament – Men’s Doubles – on the
eve of their 70th Independence Day anniversary?
Well done to Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan for sparking unbridled joy among
their compatriots packed into the colourful Istora Senayan.
It was an epic conclusion to an enthralling event!
Then it was on to the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in mid-September in
the ‘home of para sports’, Stoke Mandeville, England. There we were shown that physical
impairment is no deterrent to competitiveness, skill and the sheer will to win. These
championships – the first since para-badminton’s historic inclusion in the Tokyo 2020
Paralympic Games – underlined what a compelling sport it is, featuring very talented and
courageous athletes.
Congratulations to Rachel Choong of England and Korea’s Lee Sam Seop for competing
brilliantly to win three golds each as well as to all their peers who also won medals and
represented their respective countries proudly. As we in BWF continue our efforts to grow
para-badminton globally, it was wonderful to see 223 athletes from 37 countries across
four continental confederations playing, with each confederation winning at least one
medal. These are positive signs for the future.
That event was following by the increasingly-popular BWF World Senior Championships
in Helsingborg, Sweden, where more than a thousand players converged to vie for agegroup World titles, starting from +35 to +70 in the five traditional disciplines. Helsingborg
Arena was an amazing sight to behold with action taking place on 14 courts in two halls.
In some regards, it was a flashback to past top-flight tussles, with some well-known
personalities battling for honours.
The likes of two-time Men’s Doubles World champion Tony Gunawan (USA); former
Indonesian international Flandy Limpele; former Men’s Singles World champions,
Harijanto Arbi (Indonesia) and Peter Rasmussen (Denmark), were among those who
enjoyed a memorable outing in Helsingborg.
Meanwhile, at elite level, attention has reverted to the MetLife BWF World Superseries
and the race is well and truly on for qualifying places in the season-ending Dubai
World Superseries Finals. Following the Yonex Open Japan and Victor Korea Open in
September, there are four tournaments remaining as the best in badminton seek a spot
in the spectacular finale to 2015.
Who will be there?
Your guess is as good as mine!
Poul-Erik Høyer
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
www.bwfbadminton.org
PAGE 3
Mamiko Toyoda of Japan lost her
Women’s Singles SU 5 crown.
Amnouy Wetwithan of Thailand
won two gold medals.
BWF Vice President – Para-Badminton, Paul Kurzo
(left), presents Chairman of Badminton England,
Derek Batchelor, with a token of appreciation.
Golden Triple
for Lee and
Choong
Rachel Choong and Lee Sam Seop savoured
triple success at the BWF Para-Badminton
World Championships in August, leading
their respective countries to four golds each.
Competing in the SS 6 sport class, Choong
boasted winning performances in Women’s
Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed
Doubles at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in
England. Having secured the Women’s
Doubles gold with Rebecca Bedford, the
21-year-old then retained her singles crown
by beating her partner 21-13 21-2 in the final
and teamed up with Andrew Martin to inflict
another loss on Bedford and Jack Shephard in
the Mixed Doubles showdown (21-16 21-4).
The triple World champion was thrilled
with her success as she and other parabadminton athletes look ahead to the sport’s
debut in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
“I hadn’t realised I was the first English
player to win three (golds) in the same
championships and that feels amazing.
“I’m going to be up on cloud nine for a good
while. It means more also as it’s in England.
Only my mum was with me when I won in
Germany so having all my family here to see
me become World champion again today
really has been the icing on the cake. I am
so happy,” said the Liverpool native.
Meanwhile, Lee Sam Seop dominated the
wheelchair competition, not only remaining
the Men’s Singles WH 1 champion but
adding the Men’s Doubles WH 1-WH 2
and Mixed Doubles WH 1-WH 2 titles to his
trophy cabinet.
The
top-seeded
Korean
overcame
Germany’s Thomas Wandschneider in
the singles final, 21-9 21-12; won Men’s
Doubles with Kim Kyung Hoon (21-17 1921 26-24) versus their team-mates, Kim
Jung Jun/Lee Dong Seop; and took Mixed
Doubles honours with Kim Yeon Sim. They
Action-packed Stoke Mandeville Stadium.
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
beat Thailand’s Jakarin Homhaul/Amnouy
Wetwithan, 23-21 21-17.
India also copped four of the 21 titles up for
grabs, with golden runs in Men’s Singles
SL 3 and SL 4, with victories for Pramod
Bhagat and Tarun Tarun respectively. Their
team-mates, Anand Kumar Boregowda and
Manoj Sarkar, won Men’s Doubles SL 3-SL
4 and India also took gold in Mixed Doubles
SL 3-SU 5, thanks to Raj Kumar and Parul
Dalsukhbhai Parmar.
Other stand-out performances came from
Malaysia’s Cheah Liek Hou; Norway’s Helle
Sofie Sagoy and Amnouy Wetwithan of
Thailand, with two gold medals apiece.
A total of 223 players from 37 countries
competed in the biennial, four-day
tournament.
A diving Leonardo Zuffo of Brazil.
www.bwfbadminton.org
PAGE 4
BWF Para-Badminton
World Championships
2015 – Winners
MS SL 3: Pramod Bhagat (India)
MS SL 4: Tarun Tarun (India)
MS SS 6: Didin Taresoh (Malaysia)
MS SU 5: Cheah Liek Hou (Malaysia)
MS WH 1: Lee Sam Seop (Korea)
MS WH 2: Kim Jung Jun (Korea)
MD SL 3 - SL 4: Anand Kumar Boregowda/Manoj Sarkar (India)
MD SS 6: Krysten Coombs/Jack Shephard (England)
MD SU 5: Cheah Liek Hou/Hairol Fozi Saaba (Malaysia)
Denmark’s Julie Thrane won a
gold, silver and bronze.
MD WH 1 - WH 2: Kim Kyung Hoon/Lee Sam Seop (Korea)
WS SL 4: Helle Sofie Sagoy (Norway)
WS SS 6: Rachel Choong (England)
WS SU 5: Julie Thrane (Denmark)
WS WH 1: Wang Ping (China)
WS WH 2: Amnouy Wetwithan (Thailand)
WD SL 3 - SU 5: Helle Sofie Sagoy (Norway)/Katrin Seibert (Germany)
WD SS 6: Rebecca Bedford/Rachel Choong (England)
WD WH 1 - WH 2: Sujirat Pookkhum/Amnouy Wetwithan (Thailand)
XD SL 3 - SU 5: Raj Kumar/Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar (India)
XD SS 6: Andrew Martin/Rachel Choong (England)
XD WH 1 - WH 2: Lee Sam Seop/Kim Yeon Sim (Korea)
Triple gold medallist, Lee Sam Seop (left), and
partner Kim Kyung Hoon were victorious in
Men’s Doubles WH 1-WH 2 for Korea.
England’s Rachel Choong won one
of her three golds in Mixed Doubles
SS 6 with Andrew Martin.
Mixed Doubles SL 3-SU 5 winners,
Raj Kumar and Parul Dalsukhbhai
Parmar of India.
Wang Ping of China was delighted with
gold in Women’s Singles WH 1 at her first
BWF World Championships.
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
New Zealand’s lone representative, Nina
Kersten, took home silver in WD SS 6,
partnering Randika Doling of Sri Lanka.
www.bwfbadminton.org
PAGE 5
Continued from page 1
Ultimately, the goal of the Sport for Hope Centre is to
nurture Haiti’s sporting talent, hopefully resulting in
youth like Alma progressing to represent their nation at
regional and possibly international level at events like
the Pan Am Juniors and the Youth Olympic Games.
Hence the potential and opportunity which simply
getting “a chance to play” a sport like badminton
can offer to children all over the world – thanks to cooperation such as that between BWF and IOC-funded
Sport for Hope Centre.
Badminton competitors in the first-ever National Schools Championships in Haiti.
The Centre was also the location for the
inaugural National Schools Championships
held in May this year by the Haitian Badminton
Federation. The event provided an opportunity
for children involved in Shuttle Time to enjoy
friendly competition against pupils from other
schools. The tournament was officiated by
trainee umpires and line judges who had just
participated in a BWF-sponsored Umpire, Line
Judge and Competition Management Training
course.
“We must also improve the technical expertise
around badminton so that our membership can
officiate and manage their own competitions,”
noted BWF Development Chair, David Cabello.
“For us to be successful in the long term, this
must be a holistic process.”
While the Centre provides transportation
and meals, BWF has been ensuring players
have enough equipment to pursue the sport.
In June 2015, kit bags containing rackets,
shuttles and nets were sent to the Badminton
Federation of Haiti. A stringing machine is also
being provided by BWF and will be kept at the
Sport for Hope Centre. An official development
plan, to be signed by BWF, Badminton Pan
Am Confederation and Badminton Federation
of Haiti, will outline the roadmap for future
development.
Thanks to the Sport for Hope Centre (below),
badminton and Shuttle Time in Haiti have progressed
significantly from their outdoor beginnings (above).
Alma Duggary is one of the children excited
by the blossoming badminton infrastructure in
Haiti. Having been introduced to it via Shuttle
Time, he is now “addicted”.
“Badminton allows me to dream big,” declared
this proud winner of two medals at the recent
schools’ championships.
“I never saw badminton being played before
but I wanted to practise it. Something attracted
me to it. Once I started playing, I was addicted.
I imagine badminton rallies at night when I’m
sleeping. I won two medals at the schools’
championships and this will push me to
succeed in badminton for my country.”
Anti-Doping
Stalwart
Passes Away
Chair of BWF’s Doping Review Panel, Finn Mikkelsen, died suddenly
on Sunday 27 September.
The 66-year-old, who held that position since 2010, contributed
greatly to the BWF Anti-Doping Programme both as Chair of the
Panel and as an external expert and adviser to the BWF.
Mikkelsen (right) was well known in the anti-doping community as
well as in the badminton community in his homeland Denmark in
particular, through both his research in badminton and performance
training/coaching and his pioneering work at Anti-Doping Denmark
of which he was Executive Director from 2004 to 2010. He had been
involved in anti-doping for more than 20 years before his retirement
from Anti-Doping Denmark. His expertise resulted in him being
much sought after by major international sports organisations.
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
He was previously Head of Section, Research, Anti-Doping and
Physiological Testing at Team Denmark (1999 – 2004) and a
consultant to the Danish Elite Sports Institute (Team Denmark)
(1986 – 1999).
“We are shocked and saddened by Finn’s passing and we express
sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” said
BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund.
“We truly appreciated his time with us, his advice and support.
BWF has benefited immensely from his knowledge and significant
contribution to our anti-doping programme and his continuous
availability as an expert volunteer on our panels.”
www.bwfbadminton.org
PAGE 6
‘Yun-ique’ Zhao
Doubles – Again!
1
2
3
4
5
6
The TOTAL BWF World Championships
2015 will be remembered for another epic
performance by Zhao Yunlei (6).
In a repeat of her heroics a year ago in
Copenhagen, the Chinese wonder woman
stood tall in the Istora Senayan in Jakarta
with two more World Championship gold
medals to bring her overall tally at that level
to five; three in Mixed Doubles and two in
Women’s Doubles.
By retaining her titles at the 22nd edition of
the championships, the tenacious 29-yearold became the first woman to win five World
titles.
Zhao and Mixed Doubles (1) partner Zhang
Nan brushed aside younger compatriots Liu
Cheng/Bao Yixin before Zhao and Tian Qing
faced Danish duo Christinna Pedersen/
Kamilla Rytter Juhl for the Women’s Doubles
(4) crown. The Danes grabbed the early
momentum, but Zhao/Tian steadily chipped
away their lead, eventually gaining the upper
hand to ensure China’s third gold – and that
their reign as World champions continues
another two years until the TOTAL BWF
World Championships 2017 in Glasgow,
Scotland.
While China, despite many setbacks during
the week, still finished with three gold
medals, they would be concerned about
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
Women’s Singles, a discipline they have
dominated since the early 1980s. With their
top three players failing to reach the semifinals, this was the first time China returned
without a medal in Women’s Singles.
Spain’s Carolina Marin defended her
Women’s Singles (5) title with a typically
feisty victory against India’s Saina Nehwal in
the final. Marin fought back from deficits in
the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
The Men’s Singles (3) followed a different
pattern. Chen Long defended his title
without losing a game all tournament. The
final in particular was one-sided as Chen
comfortably thwarted all of Lee Chong Wei’s
attempts and the Malaysian never appeared
confident of overcoming his Chinese
nemesis.
Local heroes Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra
Setiawan were all over China’s Liu Xiaolong/
Qiu Zihan in the Men’s Doubles (2)
showdown, making it a perfect gift for the
boisterous crowd as curtains fell on the
tournament on the eve of Indonesia’s 70th
Independence Day.
FINALS RESULTS
XD: Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei (CHN) bt Liu
Cheng/Bao Yixin (CHN) 21-17 21-11
WS: Carolina Marin (ESP) bt Saina Nehwal
(IND) 21-16 21-19
MS: Chen Long (CHN) bt Lee Chong Wei
(MAS) 21-14 21-17
WD: Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei (CHN) bt
Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl
(DEN) 23-25 21-8 21-15
MD: Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan
(INA) bt Liu Xiaolong/Qiu Zihan (CHN) 2117 21-14
www.bwfbadminton.org
Shuttle Time Dubai Local Training Centre
at Dubai National School in Al Barsha.
PAGE 7
Dubai Blazing
Badminton Trail
The Men’s Doubles presentation ceremony
at last year’s World Superseries Finals.
For a region with limited exposure to worldclass badminton until recently, Dubai has come
a long way in just over a year.
The Middle East metropolis has been a
sparkling example of the progress of badminton
in a stunningly short time. While the year-ending
Dubai World Superseries Finals draws most
of the attention, a number of developmental
projects have contributed to establishing a
base for badminton in Dubai.
Following the announcement of a multi-platform
partnership between BWF and Dubai Sports
Council in April 2014, Shuttle Time Dubai
was launched in July, attended by players
such as Hendra Setiawan, Mohammad Ahsan
(Indonesia), PV Sindhu (India) and Kenichi
Tago (Japan). Initially targeting 40 schools,
Shuttle Time Dubai aimed to train more than
80 teachers to deliver safe and enjoyable
badminton lessons to more than 3,000 students
aged between eight and 16.
The Shuttle Time programme has periodically
received a boost from some of the world’s
biggest stars. Men’s Singles World champion
Chen Long (China) visited Dubai shortly after
defending his Denmark Open title last year,
engaging with schoolchildren and players
involved with the Shuttle Time Dubai grassroots
initiative.
Chen interacted with students of three schools,
hitting shuttles with them and giving them tips
on improving their game. Chen was also a
guest at the second Shuttle Time Dubai Open
at Mirdif City Centre, which caused great
excitement among competitors and spectators.
Another star to provide an impetus was Saina
TEAM VICTOR: Shuttle Time Dubai Badminton
Club Championships inaugural winners.
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
Indian star shuttler, Saina Nehwal (front row;
centre), was the special guest at the first Shuttle
Time Dubai Schools Championships.
Nehwal. The Indian visited Dubai in April this
year to interact with and inspire participants
of the school championships. The first Shuttle
Time Dubai Girls’ School Championships saw
participation from 176 girls of 15 schools. Six
teams that made it to the finals and six teams
from the Boys’ Emirati Badminton Challenge
got to meet Nehwal.
When Dubai Sports World opened in June this
year, badminton also had a prominent presence
for the second successive year. Six free-to-play
courts were a hive of activity, with players of all
ages in Shuttle Time Dubai T-shirts displaying
their skills. Grassroots badminton continued to
make strides later in the year, with the first BWF
Coach Level 1 course being held in early July.
After completing the course at Dubai Sports
World, the group of 14 teachers – six men and
eight women - from local schools, clubs and
academies received their BWF Coach Level 1
certificates.
The inaugural Shuttle Time Dubai Club
Championships were held in August. Over 120
players from 12 teams fought it out over five
weeks for a shot at the Club Championships
title. Hessa El Kous, Sports Events Planning
Manager from Dubai Sports Council, was
on hand to present the trophies to Group A
and Group B winners and runners-up. The
victorious team won the chance to attend
coaching sessions with former world No.1
Men’s Singles player, Peter Gade. The icing on
the cake for the programme was the launch of
four Shuttle Time Dubai Local Training Centres
in September. The centres will serve to as a
talent identification and development pathway
for children participating in the after-school
programmes.
Meanwhile, the season finale of this year’s
MetLife BWF World Superseries is again set for
Hamdan Sports Complex from 9-13 December.
Having been held for the first time at the
impressive venue in 2014, the Dubai World
Superseries Finals will once more showcase
an elite cadre of players as only the top eight
in each discipline qualify to compete. Ahead
of next year’s much-anticipated Rio 2016
Olympic Games, it is certainly one of the most
spectacular events.
Last year’s Men’s Singles champion Chen Long
enjoys a clear lead at the top of the Destination
Dubai Rankings, having won four World
Superseries titles so far this year. Women’s
Singles champion Tai Tzu Ying is in seventh
place and must avoid any slip-ups at the four
remaining World Superseries tournaments if
she is to ensure a chance of defending her
crown.
Men’s Doubles champions Lee Yong Dae/
Yoo Yeon Seong (Korea) have found form
lately, winning back-to-back titles in Japan
and Korea, and hold the No.1 spot ahead of
China’s Fu Haifeng/Zhang Nan. Women’s
Doubles champions Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka
Takahashi (Japan) suffered a setback in Japan
and Korea with injury to Matsutomo. They are
currently ranked fourth.
Mixed Doubles champions Zhang Nan and
Zhao Yunlei’s run has continued almost
uninterrupted this season. The Chinese are
well ahead in the rankings, leading Indonesia’s
Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir and Chinese
compatriots, Liu Cheng/Bao Yixin.
China’s Zhang Nan (right) and Zhao Yunlei want to
defend their Mixed Doubles title at the Finals.
www.bwfbadminton.org
BWF Development: Seniors and
Talented Players in Focus
PAGE 8
Following the successes of their 2012-2016 development initiatives,
BWF continental confederations gathered recently to finalise key
strategic priorities for the 2016-2020 cycle.
While the intention is certainly to continue spreading Shuttle Time’s wings
as a schools-based development programme, the world-governing
body’s Development Department will be focusing on the blossoming
landscape of seniors badminton.
“It is one of our focal points in the next four years – to support seniors
badminton. Seniors is a new growth market in badminton and in sports in
general,” disclosed BWF Development Chair, David Cabello.
“We have just had a record of more than 1300 competitors in our World
Senior Championships in Sweden and we can look around the world
and see how many sporting events are geared towards this segment of
our population. It is our responsibility, from a development perspective,
to implement relevant structures and initiatives to harness this obvious
interest in badminton.”
BWF Development Chair David Cabello.
Another major objective is the implementation of the player development
strategy to identify talented players in less-developed and developing
member associations and help them improve.
“Our aim is to get more countries up to the elite level of badminton and
ultimately to improve the medal spreads at continental championships,
World Championships and Olympic Games,” explained Cabello,
adding that this programme will be rolled out in collaboration with the
confederations.
At the same time, BWF will look to enhance its coach-education
framework; further engage with universities on Shuttle Time; and better
develop structures and capacity-building among its membership.
“This holistic approach is crucial to the overall development of badminton.
We have to look at building all parts of our sport simultaneously. We have
a sound and popular grassroots programme and our members need
the accompanying coaching, administrative and event-management
structures to support the interest in badminton that will result from
Shuttle Time and other badminton initiatives,” noted Cabello.
“BWF is committed to continuing to develop cutting-edge resources to
back up the development of badminton in new and existing members
in operational areas. We now have an Educational Resource Manager,
Sharon Springer, who is focusing on establishing these courses for our
global requirements.”
BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer (right) and BWF Dubai Project
Coordinator, Jaffer Ebrahim.
Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer of Badminton Oceania, Julie Carrel,
praised the three-day meeting at BWF headquarters in Malaysia,
highlighting the “great networking” among continental colleagues.
“It’s inspiring to share plans and hear what others are doing. These
meetings help to assure us that we are on the right track with initiatives
like Shuttle Time and coach education. We are getting a lot of support
from BWF,” she said.
BWF Development Director Ian Wright.
“There’s a good understanding of our challenges, like having a small
staff so we have to multi-task and prioritise. However, we are keenly
aware that we need to pay attention to all aspects and connect player
development and events with others aspects of badminton.”
BWF Operations Director Stuart Borrie (left), Nadia Bleaken and
Julie Carrel (right) of Badminton Oceania.
183 and Counting!
The Libyan Badminton Federation has become the newest
member of the Badminton World Federation.
This brings the world-governing body’s membership total to
183 (176 members and 7 associate members).
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
BWF Events Chair Peter Tarcala (left), BWF Events Director
Darren Parks (centre) and BWF Technical Events Manager,
Chris Trenholme, spearheaded the one-day Events workshop
which followed the Development meeting with continental
confederations.
www.bwfbadminton.org
PAGE 9
Yoneyama
Honoured
Yonex founder and Honorary Chairman Minoru Yoneyama has
received the Badminton World Federation’s highest honour –
the President’s Medal – for his “truly exceptional contribution” to
badminton.
The elderly Yoneyama was presented with the medal by BWF
President Poul-Erik Høyer (left) before the start of the Yonex Open
Japan 2015 semi-finals in Tokyo in September. Recipients of this
honour, awarded to distinguished individuals or organisations who
have made exceptional contributions to badminton, are nominated
exclusively by the BWF President. Yoneyama is the second
recipient of the award after His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
of Thailand in 2012.
Yoneyama (right), whose family was in the woodwork industry,
began his company after World War II, manufacturing wooden
rackets. The company was at the forefront of technological changes
in the sport, transitioning from wood to aluminium and then carbon
fibre. Yonex’s support for players, events and organisations helped
badminton grow globally.
demonstration sport and will continue this unique bond at next
year’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The company has also partnered
with BWF to promote and develop badminton globally. In his native
Japan, Yoneyama has established the Yonex Sports Development
Foundation to fund young athletes and sports in general.
“Today is an opportunity to recognise the exceptional contribution
that Mr Minoru Yoneyama has made to our sport over the last
55 years,” noted Høyer, paying glowing tribute in his citation to
Yoneyama whose company started producing badminton rackets
in 1957.
“We want to continue to reach more players, both social and
professionals around the world. Most of all, to bring joy to people,
for them to maintain good health just by swinging the racket or to
spend quality time socially by playing badminton. Our aim is always
to evolve our products and use them to promote badminton,” said
Yoneyama, thanking the BWF President for the honour.
Yonex has been the sole supplier and sole stringer for badminton
since the sport debuted in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games as a
“The most important thing is that each player’s racket enables them
to play with a sense of joy.”
Japan team members at the Players’
Media Education Programme.
BWF Commercial & Communications
Director, Owen Leed, speaks to players.
Makings of a Star
Stars like Chen Long, Lin Dan, Christinna
Pedersen and others became diligent
students as they attended the BWF Players’
Media Education Programme on the eve of
the TOTAL BWF World Championships in
August.
The workshops, devised to enhance players’
profiles as sports stars, sought to help
them interact better with media, fans and
sponsors while pointing out the benefits of
building a strong, wholesome image – both
to themselves and to their sport.
Many top countries, including China,
Denmark, Indonesia, Japan and Korea
attended the sessions. The programme,
divided into easy-to-follow modules,
was presented by BWF Commercial &
Communications Director Owen Leed and
Communications Manager Gayle Alleyne.
BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer and BWF
Athletes’ Commission Chair Yuhan Tan
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
Two-time Olympic gold medallist, Lin
Dan (front; centre), and his Chinese
team-mates listen attentively.
welcomed the players and spoke of how
important it is for badminton players to
communicate better with key stakeholders.
on the dangers of new media, since a
‘personal’ post or tweet could easily become
public.
The modules in the programme dealt
with facets of media interaction such as
attentiveness and body language; interview
tips; the use of phrases in English or the
local language to establish a rapport with the
press and fans; fulfilling sponsor obligations
and expectations; being aware of how
personal conduct influences sponsorship;
getting to know what fans want and expect,
and how the players stand to benefit from
better interaction with various stakeholders.
Japan head coach Park Joo Bong lauded
the initiative.
Players were given brochures with easyto-remember points that can help promote
themselves, their sponsors and the sport.
The presenters emphasised the importance
of players putting themselves in the shoes
of their fans and realising that people seek
insights into their lives and personalities.
However, the players were also cautioned
“It’s good that BWF has conducted this
programme. In fact, we are also thinking
of conducting similar programmes for
Japanese players on the national circuit, so
that they become aware of how to talk to the
media,” he revealed.
Both Tan and fellow Athletes’ Commission
member, Greysia Polii of Indonesia –
currently a top Women’s Doubles player –
also praised the BWF for educating athletes
on such important aspects.
“There were some good suggestions on
how to present oneself during an interview.
I’m sure our players will benefit from this
training. It was quite comprehensive,” said
Polii.
www.bwfbadminton.org
PAGE 10
SENIORS SHINE
IN SWEDEN
Women’s Singles +70: Renate Gabriel of Germany
(centre) retained her title while Barbara Gibson
(England) took silver and Elvira Richter of Germany
(right) won bronze.
More than 1300 competitors, including some
well-known faces, descended on Helsingborg,
Sweden in late September for the BWF World
Senior Championships.
Mixed Doubles +55 silver medallists,
Toshiyuki Kamiya (right) and Kuniko
Yamamoto of Japan.
The biennial, week-long tournament saw World
champions crowned in age groups, ranging
from +35 to +70, in all five disciplines. While
stepping up to senior level, it was familiar
territory for the likes of former World title-holders,
Tony Gunawan, Peter Rasmussen and Harijanto
Arbi, who were among the winners.
BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer attended the
finals and highlighted the friendly rivalry and
camaraderie which prevailed.
“There’s an overwhelming atmosphere of fun –
both on and off the courts – which makes this a
superb tournament and I hope it will maintain this
spirit as it continues to flourish as an important
event on our calendar,” he said.
FINAL Results:
Age Group +35
MS 35: Stanislav Pukhov (Russia) bt Thorsten Hukriede
(Germany) 21-13 21-16
WS 35: Rebecca Pantaney (England) bt Mayumi Bando
(Japan) 21-8 21-15
MD 35: Tony Gunawan (USA)/Flandy Limpele (Indonesia)
bt Naruenart Chuaymak/Apichai Thiraratsakul (Thailand)
21-13 21-9
WD 35: Kazumi Ichinohe/Noriko Sanada (Japan) bt
Sunniva Aminoff (Sweden)/Claudia Vogelgsang (Germany)
21-18 21-15
XD 35: Tommy Sørensen/Lisbeth T Haagensen (Denmark)
bt Thorsten Hukriede/Michaela Hukriede (Germany) 21-17
21-12
Age Group +40
MS 40: Peter Rasmussen (Denmark) bt Jurgen Koch
(Austria) 21-17 21-11
WS 40: Georgy Van Soerland-Trouerbach (Netherlands)
bt Pernille Strom (Denmark) 21-10 21-10
MD 40: Harijanto Arbi/Tri Kusharjanto (Indonesia) bt Peter
Rasmussen/Thomas Stavngaard (Denmark) 21-19 21-17
WD 40: Natalia Gonchar/Olga Kuznetsova (Russia) bt
Csilla Gondane Forian (Hungary)/Reni Hassan (Bulgaria)
21-16 21-15
XD 40: Carsten Loesch/Dorte Steenberg (Denmark) bt Erik
Sjostedt/Nilofar Mosavar Rahmani (Sweden) 21-17 21-13
Age Group +45
MS 45: Wu Chang-Jun (Chinese Taipei) bt Liu En-Horng
(Chinese Taipei) 21-18 22-20
WS 45: Gitte Sommer (Denmark) bt Csilla Gondane Forian
(Hungary) 21-17 21-14
MD 45: Liu En-Horng/Chang-Jun Wu (Chinese Taipei) bt
Oleg Grigoryev/Vadim Nazarov (Russia) 21-15 21-8
BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION
Men’s Singles +55 medallists (left to right):
Jack Priestman (Canada; silver); Hastomo Arbie
(Indonesia; gold); Seiji Eto (Japan; bronze) and
Loke Poh Wong (Australia; bronze).
WD 45: Anne Birgitte Nielsen/Gitte Sommer (Denmark) bt
Mie Hanyu/Akiko Ueda (Japan) 24-22 16-21 21-10
XD 45: Bo Sorensen/Gitte Sommer (Denmark) bt Jakob
Oestergaard/Lene Struwe Andersen (Denmark) 25-23 21-8
Age Group +50
MS 50: Chang Wen-Sung (Chinese Taipei) bt Narong
Canichitsarakul (Thailand) 21-19 14-21 21-16
WS 50: Lone Hagelskjaer Knudsen (Denmark) bt Jeannette
Can Der Werff (Netherlands) 14-21 21-13 21-12
MD 50: Surachai Makkasasithorn/Narong Vanichitsarakul
(Thailand) bt Karyanto Tan/Hadi Suganyanto Wahono
(Indonesia) 21-14 21-14
WD 50: Charlotte Dew-Hattens/Grete Sahlertz Kragekjaer
(Denmark) bt Cathy Bargh/Kay Vickers (England) 21-13
21-14
XD 50: Chang Wen-Sung (Chinese Taipei)/Zhou Xin (Hong
Kong) bt Morten Christensen/Helle Sjorring (Denmark)
15-21 21-15 21-16
Age Group +55
MS 55: Hastomo Arbie (Indonesia) bt Jack Keith Priestman
(Canada) 21-11 21-13
WS 55: Heidi Bender (Germany) bt Linda Wood (England)
21-6 21-8
MD 55: Uun Setiawan Santoso/Simbarsono Sutanto
(Indonesia) bt Trirong Limsakul/Attakorn Maensamut
(Thailand) 21-18 21-12
WD 55: Heidi Bender/Maren Schröder (Germany) bt
Jennifer A Cox/Christine M Crossley (England) 21-17 18-21
21-15
XD 55: Stefan Frey/Heidi Bender (Germany) bt Toshiyuki
Kamiya/Kuniko Yamamoto (Japan) 22-20 21-10
Age Group +60
MS 60: Claus B Andersen (Denmark) bt Toshio Kawaguchi
(Japan) 21-14 21-15
Men’s Singles +40 winner:
Peter Rasmussen (Denmark).
WS 60: Christine M Crossley (England) Christine Black
(Scotland) 21-15 21-19
MD 60: Jiamsak Panitchaikul/Surapong Suharitdumrong
(Thailand) bt William Hamblett/Graham Holt (England)
21-12 21-11
WD 60: Christine Black (Scotland)/Marjan Ridder
(Netherlands) bt Marguerite Butt/Ann Hurst (England) 21-16
21-8
XD 60: Rob Ridder (Netherlands)/Marjan Ridder
(Netherlands) bt Graham Holt /Ann Hurst (England) 21-13
21-10
Age Group +65
MS 65: Johan Croukamp (South Africa) bt Per Dabelsteen
(Denmark) 21-18 21-12
WS 65: Rose Lei (USA) bt Yuriko Okemoto (Japan) 21-12
21-12
MD 65: Robert J Bell/Royston V Lord (England) bt Vidya
Bhushan Arora/Sushil Kumar Patet (India) 21-18 21-8
WD 65: Yoko Akiyama/Yasuko Kataito (Japan) bt Sumiko
Kaneko/Yuriko Okemoto (Japan) 21-13 7-21 21-16
XD 65: Royston V Lord/Eileen M Carley (England) bt
Robert J Bell/Penelope A Shears (England) 12-21 21-13
21-13
Age Group +70
MS 70: Joachim Schimpke (Germany) bt Gerd Pigola
(Germany) 24-22 21-12
WS 70: Renate Gabriel (Germany) bt Barbara Gibson
(England) 19-21 21-14 21-8
MD 70: Ching Kon Kong/Loo Ah Hooi LOO (Malaysia) bt
Akira Hirota/Shinjiro Matsuda (Japan) 21-11 21-18
WD 70: Beryl Goodall (England)/Kathleen Jenner (England)
bt Satoko Nakamura/Sanae Uno (Japan) 21-11 24-22
XD 70: Kenneth Tantum/Joanna Elson (England) bt Roger
Baldwin/Victoria Betts 21-16 17-21 21-12
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