As many as 12 national teams are set to vie for the top honours when the first-ever BWF AirBadminton World Cup takes place in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates from December 11–14. Australia, Germany, Azerbaijan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Nigeria, China, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Venezuela have earned their place in the tournament after a rigorous qualification process.
“A maximum of 96 athletes will compete across three events: men’s triples, women’s triples, and the team relay,” BWF said in a release. “Former men’s singles top 10 player Wong Wing Ki Vincent heads the lineup for Team Relay favourites Hong Kong China.” The tournament will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of the UAE Badminton Feder-ation. “AirBadminton, the new outdoor version of the sport, is BWF’s emerging growth discipline with immense potential to expand the global reach of badminton,” BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul said.
“This year we have launched our first world circuit enabling more Member Associations, teams, and athletes, especially those beyond the traditional badminton powerhouse nations, to take part in BWF-sanctioned competitions. This strengthens the elite competitive landscape and fosters greater inclusivity.
“Our vision for flagship AirBadminton events such as the World Cup in Sharjah is to blend high-level competition with a vibrant festival atmosphere and evening entertainment, helping us reach new audiences and expand the global badminton community,” he added. In triples format, matches will be played in a best-of-five games format. Each game is won by the first team to reach 9 points.
If the score reaches 8-all, a team must lead by two points to win. If the score reaches 12-all, the next point decides the winner. Teams may make up to three substitutions per match. In team relay, each tie consists of four matches: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, women’s triples and men’s triples. Each match is played to 15 points, with scores accumulating in a relay format. The first team to reach 60 points wins the tie. Players may participate in one or two matches per tie. AirBadminton is a format designed for outdoor play on surfaces such as sand, grass, and hard courts.
