Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul Elected Badminton World Federation President

Thailand’s Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul was confirmed as the new Badminton World Federation president at the 86th BWF Annual General Meeting in Xiamen, China, on April 26.

Leeswadtrakul, who is the second woman president of the BWF, won unopposed.

“For me, badminton has always been more than a sport and tonight marks a deeply meaningful milestone,” said Leeswadtrakul. “While badminton is in a strong position today, we must continue to work towards making badminton a truly global sport.

“The next Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles are just three years away and LA28 presents a powerful opportunity to elevate our sport on the world stage. We must be ready to grab this moment.”

Leeswadtrakul succeeds Denmark’s Poul-Erik Hoyer after a 12-year tenure as BWF president. Hoyer was awarded honorary life vice president at the Annual General Meeting.

“It’s a great honor to pass on the baton of BWF president to my dear friend and colleague,” said Hoyer. “Badminton has been such a big part of my life for so many years now, both on and off the court. And I am so proud of the transformations we have collectively made together over the last 12 years to take the sport to where it is today.”

Long-serving BWF Council member and Paris 2024 Chief Executive Officer Etienne Thobois of France was confirmed as deputy president. France’s Richard Perot was elected the new BWF vice president of Para Badminton over Paul Kurzo.

“I’m very excited personally to work with Khunying Patama and the team to further the sport’s global footprint,” Thobois said. “We now have a great challenge ahead of us to keep badminton relevant and exciting for the masses around the world.”