UAE’s Riyan Malhan tops BWF junior rankings

Riyan Malhan has achieved a historic breakthrough for UAE badminton by claiming the top spot in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) youth rankings, following his impressive victory at the Hungarian International Youth Championship.

His achievement caps off an impressive run of success on both the continental and international stage. Malhan earned bronze at the 2025 Asian Youth Games after earlier finishing on the podium at the 2024 Asian U15 Championships, results that confirm him as one of Asia’s top players in his age group.

Malhan’s emergence as a global badminton talent highlights the effectiveness of the UAE’s unified sports development system, guided by the UAE Committee for Talent and Sports Support. Central to this effort is the National Athlete Pathway, a newly introduced programme that aims to spot, cultivate and elevate promising athletes according to global standards.

Elite Sport UAE has been instrumental in his progress, offering a high-performance training environment at the Badminton Centre of Excellence, complete with specialist coaching and tailored strength and conditioning support.

As part of ongoing initiatives to accelerate technical growth, the Committee hosted a specialised session with world-class badminton star Anders Antonsen, a multiple European champion and one of the sport’s top players, who worked with officials and up-and-coming players during the UAE Sports Talent Badminton Championship to help enhance their competitive skills.