A birthday to celebrate: 90 Years of the BWF

Ninety years old, much travelled and evolved, but still reinventing itself all the time.

The Badminton World Federation has charted a unique course during its journey – from its early years in England as the International Badminton Federation, surviving World War II not long after its birth; its youth, during which time it overcame a family feud; and on to thriving middle age, shepherding badminton into one of the world’s most followed sports.

The International Badminton Federation was born on 5 July 1934. Its parent was the Badminton Association, which was formed in September 1893 to bring about uniformity in the rules of the game. While the Badminton Association primarily administered the game in England, a number of overseas clubs had affiliated to it and as the sport grew, the need for a worldwide association was felt.

On 5 July 1934 at Bush House, Aldwych, London, the International Badminton Federation came into being with nine founding members — Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. The Badminton Association, which now became the Badminton Association of England, offered a generous present of GBP200 to the IBF.

Among the early initiatives of the IBF was to have a men’s world team championships, with the President and 21-time All England winner, Sir George Thomas, offering the trophy. The War temporarily halted those ambitions, but by the end of the 1940s the first Thomas Cup had been held, spurring enormous interest particularly in Asia, which turned into the dominant force in time to come.

The Uber Cup for women followed from 1956-57, with Betty Uber – legendary winner of 13 All England titles – donating the trophy.

The All England was for long considered the unofficial World Championships; by the 1970s the IBF had decided to conduct the official World Championships, which was held for the first time in Malmo in 1977.

Perhaps the biggest crisis for the IBF happened not long after this, with the breakaway World Badminton Federation forming in 1978 and organising its own events, but wise counsel prevailed, and the family reconciled in May 1981.

The unification of the badminton family was to revolutionise the sport as China entered the circuit. Korea was also to make waves at the same time, and the intensity of competition would attract legions of fans. This also augured well for badminton’s inclusion in the Olympic programme, and in Barcelona 1992 came the big moment of badminton’s debut as an Olympic sport.

nto the new millennium, IBF was to reinvent itself as the Badminton World Federation while shifting its headquarters from the UK to Malaysia, with the sport also changing for a new generation of fans through a different scoring system and the Superseries (later the World Tour) circuit. Other major initiatives, such as the developmental programme Shuttle Time to popularise the sport at the grassroots level, and AirBadminton – catering to those who prefer the outdoors – have taken off over the last decade, ushering badminton to unprecedented heights.

The sport, once confined to pockets in Asia, Europe and North America, has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, and regularly features among the most watched sports at the Olympic Games. Having begun with a family of nine, the BWF today can boast of 201 members, signifying its growth and robust health.

MILESTONES OF BWF’s 90-YEAR JOURNEY

5 July 1934: Formation of the International Badminton Federation (IBF) with nine founding members.

1948-49: The Thomas Cup (World Men’s Team Championships) takes place; the trophy, commissioned by IBF President Sir George Thomas in 1939, starts with 10 teams. Malaya emerge champions beating Denmark 8-1.

1956-57: The Uber Cup (World Women’s Team Championships) held, with 11 teams competing. USA beat Denmark 6-1 in the final.

1972: Badminton is played as a demonstration sport at the Munich Olympic Games.

1977: The first official World Championships is held in Malmo, Sweden.

1979: First international Open tournament offering prize money held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, signalling the arrival of the professional era.

1985: On 5 June 1985 in East Berlin, the IOC confirms badminton as an Olympic sport.

1988: Badminton is played as an exhibition sport at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.


by BWF (source)