Hangzhou Awarded BWF World Tour Finals Hosting Rights Until 2026

Hangzhou awarded BWF World Tour Finals hosting rights until 2026 (Image Source: IANS)

HSBC BWF World Tour Finals: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Thursday named Hangzhou, China as the host city of the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals for the next four years.

Badminton's season-ending event has returned to a Chinese city after last year's edition was moved from Guangzhou to Bangkok due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"BWF is now delighted to reveal the prestigious HSBC BWF World Tour Finals will head to Hangzhou for the entire cycle. Hangzhou is home of the 19th Asian Games and is the perfect location for international badminton’s showpiece event," badminton's world governing body said in a statement.

The 2023 BWF World Tour Finals is scheduled to be held from December 13 to 17, more than two months after the postponed 2022 Asian Games concludes in the city.

Starting in 2023, BWF unveiled a 31-event new World Tour calendar, with more Super 1000, Super 750, and Super 500 tournaments, bringing greater prize money opportunities for players.

"It is with great excitement to confirm Hangzhou, China as the host of our flagship BWF World Tour Finals for this cycle. Badminton is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world with all-time high participation and fan numbers and Hangzhou with its superb sporting infrastructure and experience in staging elite international events is an ideal host for our finals," the statement said.

“We look forward to the tour’s top eight players and pairs in each category fighting it out for glory in front of thousands of passionate fans," BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said.