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LONDON WINS 2011 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Tim Crooks 17 December 2007

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has awarded England the 19th World Championships which will be hosted in London, just a year before the 2012 Olympic Games. This adds to an already impressive line up of World and European level events coming to the UK. with the support of UK Sport’s World Class Events Programme.

Saturday’s decision was a major coup for Badminton England and for the capital which will stage the World Individual Badminton Championships for the first time.

Badminton England’s Chief Executive Adrian Christy and David Hornby, Commercial Director for Events for London, were in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur last week to make the final bid presentation to the BWF Council.

The bid has received strong financial backing from UK Sport’s World Class Events Programme and has also been supported by the Rt Hon Gerry Sutcliffe, Sports Minister, The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone and London 2012 Chairman Lord Coe.

A jubilant Christy said after learning the decision: “This is great news for badminton fans throughout Britain and just what the sport needs as we aim to raise its profile in the countdown to the London Olympics. I am determined to bring more big events to England and I am confident that badminton England will be able to announce more good news for badminton fans early in the New Year.”

Upon awarding the Championships to London, BWF Deputy President Punch Gunalan said: “The bid from Badminton England was very impressive and we are delighted to award the World Championships to England. We know the badminton world will look forward to coming to London”.

The tournament will benefit from an award of up to £500,000 from UK Sport’s National Lottery backed World Class Events Programme and UK Sport’s International Director, John Scott, was equally delighted that a vital opportunity to secure an event of this status had been achieved in the lead up to London 2012: 

“This is a tremendous result for Badminton England, the UK’s World Class Events Programme, and of course our elite players, as they prepare for the challenge ahead in five years time. Hosting the World Championships in a pre-Olympic year is strategically the most important in the Olympic cycle and guarantees that the very best players in the world will be present in London,” he said.

One of the deciding factors in the successful London bid was Badminton England’s included plans to use the event as a vehicle to inspire thousands of people of all ages to get involved in the sport. Organisers plan to include a London Schools World Championships as well as new opportunities for badminton enthusiasts to play a part under a major initiative to recruit new coaches and volunteers to the sport.

The 19th World Badminton Championships joins other sports including Fencing, Track Cycling, Cross Country, Swimming, Rugby Union, Beach Volleyball, Squash, Modern Pentathlon, Wheelchair Basketball and Gymnastics who have secured World Championship events to be hosted on home soil from 2008 to 2011. 

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