View source for Badminton World Federation

{{Short description|International governing body for badminton}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = Badminton World Federation
| image                    = 2012 BWF logo.svg
| size                     = 210px
| caption                  =
| abbreviation             = BWF
| formation                = {{start date and age|1934|07|05|df=y}}
| founding_location        = [[Cheltenham]], England
| type                     = [[List of international sports federations|Sports federation]]
| headquarters             = [[Kuala Lumpur]], Malaysia
| membership               = 202 member associations
| leader_title             = President
| leader_name              = [[Khunying]] [[Patama Leeswadtrakul]]
| revenue                  = US$6.9 million<ref name=annualrev>{{cite web|url=https://www.thesportsexaminer.com/lane-one-whos-in-the-money-exclusive-analysis-of-our-survey-of-international-federation-finances/|title=Who's in the money? EXCLUSIVE analysis of our survey of International Federation finances|work= The Sports Examiner|first=Rich|last=Perelman|date=24 May 2020|access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref>
| revenue_year             = 2023
| expenses                 = US$28.27 million<ref name=annualrev/>
| expenses_year            = 2019
| website                  = {{official URL}}
}}

The '''Badminton World Federation''', aka '''BWF''', is the international [[sports governing body|governing body]] for the sport of [[badminton]] approved by the [[International Olympic Committee]]. It was founded on 5 July 1934 as the '''International Badminton Federation''' with nine member nations: [[Canada]], [[Denmark]], [[England]], [[France]], [[Ireland]], [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]], [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]]. In 1981, the IBF merged with the [[World Badminton Federation]], and on 24 September 2006, at the Extraordinary General Meeting in [[Madrid]], the name of the organization was changed to '''Badminton World Federation'''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Madrid Welcomes Badminton World Federation |url=http://www.badmintonasia.org/newspage.aspx?newsID=141 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728111055/http://www.badmintonasia.org/newspage.aspx?newsID=141 |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 July 2012 |access-date=11 March 2012 |newspaper=BadmintonAsia.org |date=29 September 2006 }}</ref>

When the BWF was founded, its head office was located in [[Cheltenham]], UK. It was then relocated to [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]] on October 1, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=BWF Council / Executive Board|url=http://bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14873|publisher=BWF|access-date=11 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814200011/http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14873|archive-date=14 August 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Khunying]] [[Patama Leeswadtrakul]] of Thailand is the current president.<ref>{{cite web |title=Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul Confirmed BWF President-elect |url=https://bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2025/04/26/khunying-patama-leeswadtrakul-confirmed-bwf-president-elect/ |website=bwfbadminton.com |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref> The BWF has 202 member associations around the world, organized into 5 continental confederations.<ref name=members>{{cite web|url=https://corporate.bwfbadminton.com/about/membership/|title=BWF–Memberships|work= BWF|access-date=1 September 2024}}</ref>

==Continental federations==
[[Image:International Badminton Federation member nations.svg|thumb|right|350px|Map of the World with five Confederations]]

The BWF works in co-operation with regional governing bodies to promote and develop the sport of badminton around the world, they are:<ref>{{cite web|title=BWF Members by Continental Confederation|url=http://bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14892|publisher=BWF|access-date=11 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814200432/http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14892|archive-date=14 August 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable
!colspan=2|Region
!Confederation
!Members
|-
|style="background-color:red"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|[[Asia]]
|[[Badminton Asia]] (BA)
|align=right|45
|-
|style="background-color:yellow;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|[[Europe]]
|[[Badminton Europe]] (BE)
|align=right|53
|-
|style="background-color:blue;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|[[Americas]]
|[[Badminton Pan America]] (BPA)
|align=right|38
|-
|style="background-color:lime;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|[[Africa]]
|[[Badminton Africa]]
|align=right|49
|-
|style="background-color:purple;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|[[Oceania]]
|[[Badminton Oceania]] (BO)
|align=right|17
|-
|colspan=3|Total
|align=right|202
|}

==Presidents==
Below is the list of presidents since 1934:<ref>{{cite web|title=IBF/BWF Office Baerers (since 1934)|url=http://bwfbadminton.org/file_download.aspx?id=35886|publisher=BWF|access-date=11 March 2012}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!align=center|No.
!align=center|Years
!align=center|Name
!align=center|Country
|-
|1
|1934–1955
|[[George Alan Thomas]]
|{{GBR}}
|-
|2
|1955–1957
|[[John Plunkett-Dillon]]
|{{IRL}}
|-
|3
|1957–1959
|Brigadier [[Bruce Hay (badminton)|Bruce Hay]]
|{{GBR}}
|-
|4
|1959–1961
|[[A. C. J. van Vossen]]
|{{NED}}
|-
|5
|1961–1963
|[[John McCallum (badminton)|John McCallum]]
|{{IRL}}
|-
|6
|1963–1965
|[[Nils Peder Kristensen]]
|{{DEN}}
|-
|7
|1965–1969
|[[David Bloomer]]
|{{GBR}}
|-
|8
|1969–1971
|[[Humphrey Chilton]]
|{{GBR}}
|-
|9
|1971–1974
|[[Ferry Sonneville]]
|{{INA}}
|-
|10
|1974–1976
|[[Stuart Wyatt]]
|{{GBR}}
|-
|11
|1976–1981
|[[Stellan Mohlin]]
|{{SWE}}
|-
|12
|1981–1984
|[[Craig Reedie]]
|{{GBR}}
|-
|13
|1984–1986
|[[Poul-Erik Nielsen]]
|{{DEN}}
|-
|14
|1986–1990
|[[Ian Palmer (badminton)|Ian Palmer]]
|{{NZL}}
|-
|15
|1990–1993
|[[Arthur Jones (badminton)|Arthur Jones]]
|{{GBR}}
|-
|16
|1993–2001
|[[Lu Shengrong]]
|{{CHN}}
|-
|17
|2001–2005
|[[Korn Dabbaransi]]
|{{THA}}
|-
|18
|2005–2013
|[[Kang Young-Joong]]
|{{KOR}}
|-
|19
|2013–2025
|[[Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen]]
|{{DEN}}
|-
|20
|2025–
|[[Patama Leeswadtrakul]]
|{{THA}}
|}

==Rankings==
{{Main|BWF World Ranking}}

The BWF World Ranking and BWF World Junior Ranking are introduced to determine the strength of the players. BWF World Ranking is used for determining the qualification for entry and seeding for the BWF-sanctioned tournament. The points awarded is based on the final results of each tournament participated for the past 52 weeks. Junior Ranking consists of players under 19 years old.

==Tournaments==

===Grade 1 (S-Tier)===
The BWF regularly organises seven major international badminton events and two events for [[para-badminton]]:

Major tournaments:
* [[BWF World Championships]]
* [[Thomas Cup]]
* [[Uber Cup]]
* [[Sudirman Cup]]
* [[Badminton at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] in co-operation with [[International Olympic Committee]]

Other major tournaments:
* [[BWF World Junior Championships]]
* [[BWF World Senior Championships]]<ref>{{cite web|title=World Senior Championships|url=http://bwfcorporate.com/events/world-senior-championships/|website=Badminton World Federation|access-date=23 February 2017}}</ref>

Para major tournaments:
* [[BWF Para-Badminton World Championships|Para-Badminton World Championships]]
*[[Badminton at the Summer Paralympics|Paralympic Games]] in co-operation with [[International Paralympic Committee]] (sports added since [[2020 Summer Paralympics|Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games]])

Event(s) are no longer held regularly:
* [[Badminton World Cup|World Cup]] was suspended since 1997. However, the BWF revived the event in 2005 (with [[China]] as host) but only as an invitational tournament. China swept gold in all 5 categories.

===Grade 2 (A-Tier)===
Grade 2 tournaments, known as [[BWF World Tour]] was sanctioned into six levels with different world ranking points awarded, as order they are:
* 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

The events that were formerly held from 2007 to 2017 are:
* [[BWF Super Series|Super Series Premier]]
* [[BWF Super Series|Super Series]]
* [[BWF Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix|Grand Prix Gold]]
* [[BWF Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix|Grand Prix]]

===Grade 3 (B-Tier)===
Grade 3 tournaments, known as Continental Circuit was sanctioned into three levels with different world ranking points awarded, as order they are:
* [[BWF International Challenge|International Challenge]]
* [[BWF International Series|International Series]]
* [[BWF Future Series|Future Series]]

==Awards==
The BWF bestows special honours onto players, umpires, sponsors, and other individuals for their achievement in badminton or for their contributions to badminton.<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards|url=http://bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14867|publisher=BWF|access-date=11 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814200358/http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14867|archive-date=14 August 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Lifetime Achievement
* [[Badminton Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]
* Herbert Scheele Trophy
* Distinguished Service
* Meritorius Service
* Certificate of Commendation
* [[BWF Awards]]
** Best Male and Female Player of the Year
** Most Promising Player of the Year

==Logo==
Over the years, the organization has had several logos.  Originally it used the IBF logo. As the BWF, a new logo was adopted in 2007.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lacroix|first=Yves|title=EXCLUSIVE – BWF Unveils New Logo Today|url=http://www.badzine.net/features/exclusive-bwf-unveils-new-logo-today/378/|access-date=11 March 2012|newspaper=Badzine|date=15 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090329/http://www.badzine.net/features/exclusive-bwf-unveils-new-logo-today/378/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012 it adopted a new, streamlined logo.<ref>{{cite news|title=BWF rebrand and launch new logo: Modern, Strong, Efficient|url=http://bwfbadminton.org/news_item.aspx?id=63263|access-date=1 June 2012|newspaper=Badminton World Federation|date=26 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528235213/http://www.bwfbadminton.org/news_item.aspx?id=63263|archive-date=28 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
<gallery>
File:2012 BWF logo.svg|BWF logo 2012–present
</gallery>

==Aborted clothing rule==
The BWF and [[Octagon (sports agency)|Octagon]] developed a rule that women badminton players must wear dresses or skirts "to ensure attractive presentation." It was included in the official rulebook in 2011, but was dropped before it was supposed to go into effect in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/badminton-skirts-rule_n_869099|title=In Badminton, Pants Are Back|date=31 May 2011|website=HuffPost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/badminton-shelves-rule-requiring-women-wear-skirts-flna812049|title=Badminton shelves rule requiring women wear skirts|date=4 June 2012|website=NBC News}}</ref>

==Publications==
* World Badminton (Journal)
* The IBF Handbook

==See also==
* [[BWF World Ranking]]
* [[World Badminton Federation]] (merged with the IBF in 1981)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{BWF seasons}}
{{National Members of the Badminton World Federation}}
{{International badminton}}
{{International Sports Federations}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Badminton World Federation| ]]
[[Category:International organisations based in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Cheltenham]]
[[Category:Badminton governing bodies]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1934]]
[[Category:Association of Summer Olympic International Federations|badminton]]