Johannesburg, November: Discover Sport™, the dedicated social media app for sports, and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) have announced a free streaming partnership to enable the inaugural BWF AirBadminton World Cup 2025 to reach fans across the globe via the Discover Sport™ platform.
The landmark event will take place from 11-14 December 2025 in the United Arab Emirates, at the picturesque Sharjah Corniche at the Khor Fakkan beachfront, one week before the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals.
The BWF AirBadminton World Cup 2025, which is being organised in partnership with the Sharjah Sports Council (SSC), represents a bold new era for the Olympic sport of badminton and its 300 million active players across the globe, with the dynamic outdoor format already gaining a worldwide following ahead of what promises to be four days of high-energy competition and cultural celebration in the UAE.
“AirBadminton is, quite simply, the new outdoor version of the sport of badminton which is known and played around the world,” says BWF President, Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul. “AirBadminton was first launched by BWF in 2019, along with the outdoor shuttlecock, the AirShuttle, and is a major emerging growth discipline with immense potential to expand the global reach of our sport”.
“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.”
Leeswadtrakul says BWF’s vision for flagship AirBadminton events like the World Cup in Sharjah is to blend high-level competition with a vibrant festival atmosphere and evening entertainment, helping the sport reach new audiences and expand the global badminton community.
The BWF AirBadminton World Cup 2025 is the first major international tournament dedicated exclusively to AirBadminton, which is designed to create opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to play badminton on hard, grass and sand surfaces in parks, gardens, streets, playgrounds and beaches around the world.
A total of 72 players from 12 participating countries will compete in three events, namely team relay, men’s triples and women’s triples. The teams are: Australia, Germany, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Nigeria, China, Egypt, Venezuela, hosts UAE and top seeds Hong Kong China.
These teams represent a vibrant mix of traditional badminton powerhouses and emerging AirBadminton nations, reflecting the sport’s expanding global footprint. Former men’s singles top 10 player Wong Wing Ki Vincent heads the lineup for Team Relay favourites Hong Kong China.
“Discover Sport™ and AirBadminton are a great match in terms of BWF’s vision for the future of the sport, and we are proud to be able to showcase this evolution to a global audience,” says Discover Sport™ Founder, Stephen Watson. “Ambition Lives Here is our strapline but it’s more than that – it’s our DNA, and it marries perfectly with our desire to serve the underserved sports of the world, including exciting new versions of established sports such as badminton.”
“I’m sure AirBadminton will continue a growing worldwide trend of sport being presented and consumed in a whole new way. It’s the reason Discover Sport™ was launched and both ourselves and BWF realise that, in order to build on history and heritage, sport simply has to keep evolving, no matter how successful it is,” says Watson.
“We at Discover Sport™ share and support this bold quest for innovation on the part of BWF. Most people are familiar with badminton but if sports fans would like a taste of how a sport can reinvent itself at speed and push the conventional boundaries of how modern-day sport is watched, then AirBadminton is for you. Register on Discover Sport™ and catch the action for free, wherever you are in the world,” adds Watson.
Tournament Schedule & Format:
Thursday, 11 December:
Men’s and Women’s Triples – Group Stage
Friday, 12 December:
Men’s and Women’s Triples – Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals
Saturday, 13 December:
Team Relay – Group Stage
Sunday, 14 December:
Team Relay – Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals
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.
Team Relay Format:
Each tie consists of four matches, namely 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.
Issued by DISCOVER SPORT™