
Preparation underway for Badminton WC
This event is set to take place in Khorfakkan, Sharjah, from December 11-14, 2025.
The organising committee recently held its first meeting at the Sharjah Sports Council headquarters to discuss various topics related to the tournament.
The Badminton World Federation has announced that Sharjah will host the first-ever outdoor badminton championship, organised by the UAE Badminton Federation in collaboration with the Sharjah Sports Council.
The meeting was led by Abdulmalik Mohammed Jani, Chairman of the Organising Committee, in the presence of Noura Hassan Al Jasmi, the committee's Vice Chairman, and several other committee chairs who are responsible for various aspects of organising the tournament.
During the meeting, the team reviewed how to organise the event and divide responsibilities. They discussed the importance of developing local talent and proposed running training workshops for new referees.
They also plan to hold promotional events leading up to the tournament to generate excitement and awareness.
Khorfakkan Beach has been selected as the venue for the championship, and a press conference will take place after the European and Asian Championships.
A total of 72 players from 12 different teams across five continents will compete in the upcoming Badminton World Cup in Sharjah, underscoring the tournament's global reach and significance.
The event will bring together teams from every corner of the world, making it a true celebration of international sportsmanship.
Each continent will have strong representation, with Asia and Europe each fielding three teams, reflecting their long-standing dominance in the sport. Africa will contribute two teams, highlighting the continent's growing interest and investment in badminton. North and South America will also send two teams, showcasing the sport's expanding presence across the Americas.
Oceania will be represented by one team, and the host nation, the UAE, will proudly field a national team for the first time in the event's history.
This diverse participation not only reflects badminton's global appeal but also positions Sharjah as a rising hub for international sports, capable of hosting top-tier competitions on the world stage.
The tournament is expected to feature defending champions and top-seeded players from traditional powerhouses such as China, Indonesia, Japan, India, Denmark, and South Korea. These countries consistently produce elite talent, and fans can look forward to thrilling performances from some of the sport's most celebrated athletes.
Among the stars likely to compete are Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) — Olympic champion and reigning world number one, An Se-young (South Korea) – the dynamic women's singles sensation, PV Sindhu (India) — a two-time Olympic medalist and global fan favorite, Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) — known for his speed and strategy, Chen Yufei (China) – a consistent force in women's singles and Olympic gold medalist.
These world-class players will compete across five official categories: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
With so much talent on display, fans both in the arena and tuning in around the world can expect high-stakes, electrifying action throughout the tournament.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Today
21 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Slot's new-look Liverpool under spotlight in Community Shield
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is relishing the rare chance to lift silverware in his side's first game of the season as the new-look Premier League champions face Crystal Palace in Sunday's Community Shield. Despite storming to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title last season with four games to spare, the Reds have splashed out, spending nearly £300 million ($402 million) in the transfer market. New forwards Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, plus full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong could get their first chance to impress the Liverpool fans at Wembley. The traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season sees the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup face off. 'Normally you have to play numerous games before you can win something,' Slot said at his pre-match press conference. 'Now we have a chance to win something in the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, we face a very good Crystal Palace that have been very difficult to win against for us. 'They showed in the last (FA Cup) final — and even in the semi-final, by the way, as well — how difficult it is to win a one-off game against them.' Palace are appearing in the fixture for the first time after lifting their maiden major trophy by shocking Manchester City 1-0 in May to win the FA Cup. The Eagles' joy has been slightly soured since as they were thrown out of the Europa League and demoted into the Conference League — the third tier of European competition — over a breach of multi-club ownership rules. US businessman John Textor owned a stake in Palace and is the majority owner of French club Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League. Despite Textor since selling his shares to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, UEFA deemed Palace failed to meet the deadline to avoid a breach. Under UEFA multi-club ownership rules, Lyon have been allowed to keep their place in the second-tier competition of European football as they finished higher in Ligue 1 (6th) than Palace (12th) in the Premier League last season. Palace, however, have appealed to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. By contrast to Liverpool's transfer bonanza, Palace have spent just £2 million on Croatian left-back Borna Sosa and a new reserve goalkeeper in Walter Benitez. But the south London club have so far managed to keep hold of all of their prized assets despite interest from English and European giants. Liverpool themselves are keen on Palace captain Marc Guehi, while Eberechi Eze has been linked with a move to Arsenal. Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed both players will start at Wembley and believes his side can aim much higher up the table this season after a slow start last year cost them a top-half finish. 'We've started on a completely different level, with a different mindset and different standard we set last year, and this is why we can look forward to the season in a very positive way,' said Glasner. Tributes will be paid before the match to Diogo Jota, the Liverpool forward who died in a car crash last month at the age of 28. A 'Forever 20' emblem, referencing Jota's now-retired shirt number, will be printed on Liverpool's shirts this season. 'Tragedy impacted us but it impacted far more his wife, children and parents,' added Slot. 'The tributes that have been done since were all very emotional and impressive.' Crystal Palace approach clash with Liverpool facing a host of concerns — from injury troubles and underwhelming transfer activity to their pending appeal against UEFA's decision to demote them from the Europa League. Palace were dropped to UEFA's third-tier Conference League last month in an alleged multi-club ownership breach because John Textor, president of Olympique Lyonnais majority owners Eagle Football Group, also had a controlling stake in Palace. Eagle sold their stake in Palace last month, and the English club appealed against the demotion at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the hearing set for this month. 'If you have to play in the Conference League, it feels like we have been punished,' Glasner said. 'We hope that this verdict brings us back into the Europa League because, as I said, we haven't done anything wrong.' Agence France-Presse


Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
United sign Sesko from Leipzig as attacking revamp continues
Manchester United signed Slovenian international Benjamin Sesko on Saturday, making him the third forward the 20-time English champions have acquired in the close season. The 22-year-old's arrival from RB Leipzig, in a deal reported to be worth up to £74 million (85 million euros, $99 million), completes an overhaul of the Red Devils' attack that failed to fire last season. Only four other teams scored fewer than United's 44 goals in 38 Premier League games last season as the English giants endured their worst campaign for 51 years, finishing 15th in the table. Sesko, who has scored 16 goals in 41 international appearances, is United's third major attacking signing following the recruitment of Matheus Cunha for £62.5m from Wolves and Bryan Mbeumo, who joined from Brentford for £65m with £6m in add-ons. 'Manchester United is pleased to confirm that Benjamin Sesko has joined the club, subject to registration,' read a club statement. The five-year contract includes a guaranteed payment of £66.3million, with the remainder in add-ons, according to reports. 'The history of Manchester United is obviously very special but what really excites me is the future,' said Sesko. 'When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon.' Sesko had also been linked with Newcastle, but once again Eddie Howe's League Cup winners failed to land their target despite being able to offer European football this season, unlike Manchester United. Howe had seen Sesko as a ready-made replacement for unhappy Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who has been a target for champions Liverpool. Sesko, though, said he felt a vibrancy at United as they seek to rebound from a desperately disappointing 2024-2025 campaign under 40-year-old Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim. 'From the moment that I arrived, I could feel the positive energy and family environment that the club has created,' he said. 'It is clearly the perfect place to reach my maximum level and fulfil all of my ambitions. 'I cannot wait to start learning from Ruben and connecting with my team-mates to achieve the success that we all know we are capable of together.' Sesko had also previously been linked with Arsenal after impressing during his two-year spell in Germany, where he scored 39 times in 87 appearances for Leipzig, including 21 goals last season. Standing 1.95 metres (6ft 4ins) tall, Sesko's towering physique, electric pace and eye for goal have earned comparisons with Manchester City's Erling Haaland. Like Haaland, he also made his name at RB Salzburg before moving to Germany in 2023. United are banking on Sesko realising his abundant potential to fire them back into contention at the top of the Premier League table. Between them, Sesko, Cunha and Mbeumo combined for 58 goals last season. The massive outlay on their arrivals needs to bear fruit quickly with United under pressure to meet financial sustainability rules, especially without the revenue of European football this season. Sesko's arrival is likely to presage the departure of Rasmus Hojlund, whose plight might provide a salutary tale for the Slovenian. The 23-year-old Danish forward arrived with similarly high hopes but has failed to deliver and is reportedly subject to interest from Serie A side AC Milan. Sesko though has convinced United's director of football Jason Wilcox that he has the attributes to help propel United back into title contention. 'Benjamin possesses a rare combination of electrifying pace and the ability to physically dominate defenders, making him one of the most exceptional young talents in world football,' said Wilcox. 'We have followed Benjamin's career closely; all of our data analysis and research concluded that he has the required qualities and personality to thrive at Manchester United.' Agence France-Presse


Sharjah 24
a day ago
- Sharjah 24
Manchester United sign forward Benjamin Sesko
Deal details and transfer fee The 22-year-old striker joins from German club RB Leipzig in a deal reportedly worth up to $99 million. A club statement confirmed: "Manchester United is pleased to confirm that Benjamin Sesko has joined the club, subject to registration." Attack overhaul continues Sesko's signing is part of a broader rebuild of United's forward line following a disappointing 2024–2025 season. He joins Matheus Cunha, signed for £62.5 million, and Bryan Mbeumo, who cost £65 million plus £6 million in add-ons. Sesko's reaction and vision Sesko, who has 16 goals in 41 international appearances for Slovenia, expressed excitement about joining United: 'The history of Manchester United is obviously very special, but what really excites me is the future." 'When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon.' Choosing United over other clubs Despite interest from other clubs, including Newcastle United, who could offer European football, Sesko opted for Old Trafford. He cited the club's positive energy and ambitious vision under manager Ruben Amorim. 'From the moment that I arrived, I could feel the positive energy and family environment that the club has created,' he said. 'It is clearly the perfect place to reach my maximum level and fulfil all of my ambitions.' 'I cannot wait to start learning from Ruben and connecting with my team-mates to achieve the success that we all know we are capable of together.'