Australia, Germany, Azerbaijan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Nigeria, China, UAE, Egypt, and Venezuela are set to compete in the first edition of the BWF AirBadminton World Cup. The event will take place from December 11th to 14th in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with twelve national teams vying for the top honors. AirBadminton is a format specifically designed for outdoor play on surfaces like sand, grass, and hard courts.
The qualifying process was intense, with teams like Australia, Germany, UAE, and others securing spots in the tournament. Matches in the triples format will be played in a best-of-five games structure, with each game ending when a team reaches 9 points. Teams must lead by two points to win if the score reaches 8-all; if it reaches 12-all, the next point determines the winner. Substitutions are allowed, up to three per match.
In the team relay, each tie includes four matches: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, women’s triples, and men’s triples. Matches are played to 15 points, and scores accumulate in a relay format. The first team to reach 60 points wins the tie, with players able to participate in up to two matches per tie. The event will see a maximum of 96 athletes compete across men’s triples, women’s triples, and the team relay.
Wong Wing Ki Vincent, a former men’s singles top 10 player, leads in the lineup for the Team Relay favorites Hong Kong China. The tournament, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, aims to promote the new outdoor discipline of AirBadminton. BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul highlighted the growth potential of AirBadminton, emphasizing inclusivity and expanding the global reach of badminton competitions.
The BWF’s vision is to combine high-level competition with a festive atmosphere and entertainment, attracting new audiences and developing the global badminton community.
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