The Badminton World Federation (BWF), Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government, and Chinese Badminton Association (CBA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to magnify the impact of Hangzhou’s staging of the Asian Games, and hosting rights to the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals for the next four years, to further strengthen the influence of badminton in the city for the foreseeable future.

The MoU signed by BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer will see a proactive collaboration between the parties to not only establish Hangzhou as a hotbed of elite international badminton competitions, headlined each year by the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, but as a regional hub for promoting and nurturing new badminton talent, utilising the world-class facilities and infrastructure that stand as a legacy from the Asian Games, paired with the existing technical expertise of the BWF and CBA.

The Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government also wishes to maximise the potential of sports, in particular badminton, in the post-Asian Games era by leveraging the exciting prospect of the world’s best players coming to Hangzhou each year for the season-ending HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, by shaping and fast-tracking the growth and development of its own badminton programme.

BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said the mutual agreement bodes well for all parties in the future. “BWF is excited to promote Hangzhou as the official home of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals and the endless opportunities this brings for the local badminton scene,” he said.

“In the Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government and CBA, we have great partners to elevate and enhance the widespread popularity of badminton locally and regionally.”

The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2023 runs 13-17 December.