Dubai: The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has hailed the staging of the season-ending Badminton World Federation (BWF) Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals in the emirate for the next four years as “a true and meaningful value addition to the sports scene”.
Speaking to Gulf News after it was announced the finals would be held here from December this year, DSC secretary general Dr Ahmad Sa’ad Al Sharif said Dubai is always looking at ways of attracting top-level sporting events to enhance the Dubai brand internationally.
“In the past we had the ‘Ping Pong Dubai’ initiative that sought to popularise table tennis in the region and now we have badminton. Events like these can have a dual affect on society, with people getting the opportunity to play themselves while watching some of the top international stars in action. I am convinced that this event is a true and meaningful addition to Dubai,” he said.
The world’s best badminton players — including the likes of Malaysia’s Lee Chong-wei, China’s Chen Long and India’s Saina Nehwal — will be here for the annual finals as part of a partnership between Dubai and the (BWF).
As part of the agreement, Dubai will also have naming rights for the Destination Dubai Rankings, which will be generated from points gathered on the 12-stage MetLife BWF World Superseries. Three superseries events have already taken place, with nine remaining across Asia, Australia and Europe.
The top eight singles players and doubles pairs will qualify for the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals, which will be held at the Hamdan Sports Complex in December.
Under the agreement, the BWF’s grassroots programme Shuttle Time, currently operating in 65 countries worldwide, will be launched in Dubai later this year.
“We are extremely happy to welcome Dubai and the sense of style which it brings to the MetLife BWF World Superseries,” BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer said.
“Our tour is becoming increasingly popular and is televised throughout the year in more than 160 countries with a household reach of more than 300 million. Dubai’s global connectivity, accessibility and track record in hosting world-class sporting events can only help us to grow the sport and make badminton even more accessible to fans.”
