Badminton World Federation facts for kids
BWF Logo
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| Abbreviation | BWF |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1934 |
| Type | Sports federation |
| Headquarters | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
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Membership
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194 member associations |
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President
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Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen |
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Revenue (2019)
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US$25.79 million |
| Expenses (2019) | US$28.27 million |
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the main international group that manages the sport of badminton. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially recognizes it.
The BWF started in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation (IBF). It began with nine countries: Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. In 1981, the IBF joined with the World Badminton Federation. Then, on September 24, 2006, the organization changed its name to the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
When it first started, the BWF (as the IBF) had its main office in Cheltenham, UK. On October 1, 2005, the office moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The current president is Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen. The BWF now has 194 member countries around the world. These countries are grouped into 5 larger areas called continental confederations.
Contents
Badminton Around the World
The BWF works with groups in different parts of the world. These groups help to grow and improve badminton everywhere. Here are the main regional groups:
| Region | Confederation | Members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | Badminton Asia (BA) | 43 | |
| Europe | Badminton Europe (BE) | 54 | |
| Americas | Badminton Pan America (BPA) | 37 | |
| Africa | Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) | 44 | |
| Oceania | Badminton Oceania (BO) | 16 | |
| Total | 194 | ||
Leaders of the BWF
Since 1934, many people have served as the president of the BWF (and its earlier name, the IBF). Here is a list of all the presidents:
| No. | Years | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1934–1955 | George Alan Thomas |  United Kingdom |
| 2 | 1955–1957 | John Plunkett-Dillon |  Ireland |
| 3 | 1957–1959 | Brigadier Bruce Hay | United Kingdom |
| 4 | 1959–1961 | A. C. J. van Vossen |  Netherlands |
| 5 | 1961–1963 | John McCallum | Ireland |
| 6 | 1963–1965 | Nils Peder Kristensen |  Denmark |
| 7 | 1965–1969 | David Bloomer | United Kingdom |
| 8 | 1969–1971 | Humphrey Chilton | United Kingdom |
| 9 | 1971–1974 | Ferry Sonneville |  Indonesia |
| 10 | 1974–1976 | Stuart Wyatt | United Kingdom |
| 11 | 1976–1981 | Stellan Mohlin |  Sweden |
| 12 | 1981–1984 | Craig Reedie | United Kingdom |
| 13 | 1984–1986 | Poul-Erik Nielsen | Denmark |
| 14 | 1986–1990 | Ian Palmer |  New Zealand |
| 15 | 1990–1993 | Arthur Jones | United Kingdom |
| 16 | 1993–2001 | Lu Shengrong |  China |
| 17 | 2001–2005 | Korn Dabbaransi |  Thailand |
| 18 | 2005–2013 | Kang Young-Joong |  South Korea |
| 19 | 2013– | Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen | Denmark |
Player Rankings
The BWF uses special ranking systems to see how good players are. These are called the BWF World Ranking and the BWF World Junior Ranking.
How Rankings Work
The BWF World Ranking helps decide which players can enter and get a good starting spot in BWF tournaments. Players earn points based on how well they do in tournaments over the past 52 weeks. The Junior Ranking is for players who are under 19 years old.
Badminton Tournaments
The BWF organizes many exciting badminton events around the world. These tournaments are grouped into different levels.
Top-Level Tournaments (Grade 1)
These are the biggest and most important international badminton events. There are seven major events for regular badminton and two for para-badminton (badminton for athletes with disabilities).
- BWF World Championships: Where the world champions are crowned.
- Thomas Cup: A team championship for men.
- Uber Cup: A team championship for women.
- Sudirman Cup: A mixed team championship.
- Olympic Games: Badminton is a sport at the Summer Olympics, working with the International Olympic Committee.
Other major tournaments include:
- BWF World Junior Championships: For young, rising stars.
- BWF World Senior Championships: For older players.
For para-badminton, the major tournaments are:
- Para-Badminton World Championships
- Paralympic Games: Para-badminton became a sport at the Paralympics starting with the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Some tournaments, like the Badminton World Cup, are no longer held regularly.
World Tour Events (Grade 2)
These tournaments are part of the BWF World Tour. They are divided into six levels, and players earn different amounts of ranking points depending on the level:
- Level 1: BWF World Tour Finals
- Level 2: BWF World Tour Super 1000
- Level 3: BWF World Tour Super 750
- Level 4: BWF World Tour Super 500
- Level 5: BWF World Tour Super 300
- Level 6: BWF Tour Super 100
Before 2018, there were different types of tournaments like the Super Series Premier and Grand Prix.
Continental Circuit Events (Grade 3)
These tournaments are part of the Continental Circuit. They also offer world ranking points and are divided into three levels:
- BWF International Challenge
- BWF International Series
- BWF Future Series
Special Awards
The BWF gives out special awards to players, referees, sponsors, and others. These awards recognize their great achievements in badminton or their important help to the sport. Some of these awards include:
- Lifetime Achievement
- Hall of Fame
- Herbert Scheele Trophy
- Best Male and Female Player of the Year
- Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year
- Women in Badminton
BWF Logos
The BWF has used different logos over the years. When it was the IBF, it had one logo. After changing to BWF, a new logo was adopted in 2007. In 2012, they updated to a new, simpler logo.
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BWF logo 2012–present
See also
In Spanish: Federación Mundial de Bádminton para niños
- BWF World Ranking
- World Badminton Federation
