Gold Coast Beckons!

Loke Poh Wong, Tournament Director of the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 due to be held next year in Gold Coast, writes about the significance of staging the tournament for the first time in Australia:

Staging the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 in the Oceania Confederation for the first time provides a window of opportunity for the BWF to accelerate badminton’s growth and development in Australia and Oceania and leave a tangible post-event national and regional legacy.

We will be able to increase engagement with Oceania member associations and encourage some to participate in the Sudirman Cup for the first time.

The event will enhance development pathways for players, coaches, technical officials, administrators and event organisers whilst showcasing badminton at its highest level to the wider sport community, including potential corporate sponsors and government partners.

Driving growth

Badminton Australia (BA) will use the Sudirman Cup to drive increased active participation in badminton in Australia and Oceania, and enhance event management capability within BA and Badminton Oceania to stage further BWF major events in the region.

The TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 will provide an opportunity for Badminton Australia’s main funding bodies (the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Olympic Committee) to better understand the sport and its high performance development needs.

It will also enable junior athletes to witness elite international competition at home, motivating participation and performance at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Attractive destination

The Gold Coast is a major sports and event destination in Australia, highlighted by the host city status of the Commonwealth Games in April 2018. It is Australia’s most vibrant city and a popular holiday and lifestyle destination with domestic and international visitors alike.

Apart from the fact that the event will be played in a brand new state-of-the-art facility, Gold Coast’s diverse attractions include surfing beaches, waterways, rainforests, hinterland and national parks to world-class theme parks, shopping precincts, cafes and restaurants, hotels, resorts, sport and convention venues.

Impact on badminton

Despite the fact that Australia in one of the top sporting nations in the world, badminton as a sport is still relatively new to the country. An event like the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 will expose the nation to the best of what badminton is about: the speed, excitement and especially the players, to the general sporting community of Australia.

From the perspective of all the countries in Oceania, we are only at an infant stage of badminton growth. The growth potential, in terms of numbers playing and the standard of badminton being played, can only improve from here. We hope the legacy of staging the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 will accelerate this growth.  

Challenges ahead

As with most major events being run in a new facility, a highly regulated event like the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 with a potential TV audience of over 500 million and a full capacity of over 5000 does put some pressure on the entire set-up of an untested venue.

The other challenge – with Australia being an island continent – is distance. We hope many countries will support and compete in the event.

Sudirman Cup News

Korea Light Up Gold Coast

Korea Light Up Gold Coast

29 May 2017
‘Seoul’ Satisfying! – Final: TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

‘Seoul’ Satisfying! – Final: TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

28 May 2017
Steely Survival – Day 7 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Steely Survival – Day 7 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

28 May 2017
Korea Storm into Final – Day 7 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Korea Storm into Final – Day 7 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman...

27 May 2017
‘Vietnam Vet’ Shines – Day 6 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

‘Vietnam Vet’ Shines – Day 6 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup...

26 May 2017
China, Japan to Face Off – Day 6 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

China, Japan to Face Off – Day 6 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF...

26 May 2017
Triumphant ‘Thai-tans’! – Day 5 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Triumphant ‘Thai-tans’! – Day 5 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

25 May 2017
Australia Falter to Singapore – Day 5 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Australia Falter to Singapore – Day 5 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman...

25 May 2017
Three Women Elected to Athletes’ Commission

Three Women Elected to Athletes’ Commission

25 May 2017
Danes Dig Deep – Day 4 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Danes Dig Deep – Day 4 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup...

24 May 2017
Chinese Taipei Down Korea – Day 4 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Chinese Taipei Down Korea – Day 4 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman...

24 May 2017
Irrepressible India! – Day 3 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Irrepressible India! – Day 3 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

23 May 2017
Easy for Malaysia, Scotland – Day 3 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Easy for Malaysia, Scotland – Day 3 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman...

23 May 2017
Thailand Survive – Day 2 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Thailand Survive – Day 2 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

22 May 2017
Denmark Overcome India – Day 2 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Denmark Overcome India – Day 2 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup...

22 May 2017
Big Guns Prevail – Day 1 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Big Guns Prevail – Day 1 (Session 2): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup...

21 May 2017
Canada Bounce Back – Day 1 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Canada Bounce Back – Day 1 (Session 1): TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup...

21 May 2017
Fireworks Begin Today!

Fireworks Begin Today!

21 May 2017
New Generals Cautious on Battle Eve

New Generals Cautious on Battle Eve

19 May 2017
BWF All Set to Go!

BWF All Set to Go!

18 May 2017
Sri Lanka Look Formidable in Group 3

Sri Lanka Look Formidable in Group 3

18 May 2017
Hosts Australia Have Edge in Group 2

Hosts Australia Have Edge in Group 2

18 May 2017
Korea Head in With Young Blood – TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

Korea Head in With Young Blood – TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

12 May 2017
Nine Running for BWF Athletes’ Commission

Nine Running for BWF Athletes’ Commission

11 April 2017
England Withdraws; Germany Promoted

England Withdraws; Germany Promoted

4 April 2017
China Features Early: TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

China Features Early: TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

29 March 2017
Gold Coast Toasts Sudirman Cup Draw

Gold Coast Toasts Sudirman Cup Draw

20 March 2017
Sudirman Cup Battle Royal Beckons

Sudirman Cup Battle Royal Beckons

17 March 2017
China Get Top Billing – TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

China Get Top Billing – TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017

6 March 2017
Sudirman Cup Goes South

Sudirman Cup Goes South

8 February 2017
32 Teams ‘Going Gold’

32 Teams ‘Going Gold’

2 February 2017
Gold Coast Wins Sudirman Cup 2017

Gold Coast Wins Sudirman Cup 2017

13 November 2014
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