What a fantastic opportunity it was this afternoon in Chengdu for Australia’s Thomas Cup Team after going up against hosts China at the TotalEnergies BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2024.
Falcons Ricky Tang (MS, MD)/ Rayne Wang (MD), Jacob Schueler (MS), Kenneth Choo (MD)/ Huaidong Tang (MD) and Jack Yu (MS) went down fighting 0-5, but gained plenty of valuable experience during the opening day in Chengdu competing against some of the world’s best.
Hear from National Head Coach Leanne Choo on the match:
“They embraced every moment on court this afternoon and what’s most pleasing was watching them all individually execute elements of their game that they had been working on.
“One thing we wanted to see was them to not feel intimidated by the home crowd and just show up on court and play their best – which is exactly what they did.
“I am pleased with today and can’t wait to get underway with the Women’s Uber Cup Team first thing tomorrow.”
Australia’s Uber Cup Team (Group B) is on court tomorrow morning at 10.30am (AEST) for their first match against Thailand.
Australia’s Men’s Team (Group A) returns to the court later in the afternoon at 3pm (AEST) against Korea.
Full Results: https://bwfthomasubercups.bwfbadminton.com
📸 Badmintonphoto (Jnanesh Salian and Tan En En)
Watch all the action live via BWF TV: https://youtube.com/@bwftv?si=OJvcjnQg60gnAzhh
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Badminton Australia is thrilled to unveil the team selections for the TotalEnergies Badminton World Federation Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2024.
The Thomas and Uber Cup Teams will travel to Chengdu, China, where the event is held from 27 April through to 5 May to compete against the top nations from across the world in what is the sport’s most prestigious Men’s and Women’s Team event.
Badminton Australia Tjitte (TJ) Weistra congratulated all the selected players who will represent Australia.
“After incredible performances during the qualification stage in Geelong, we are excited to see our teams go that one step further in the Finals,” he said.
“The Thomas and Uber Cups are among the most prestigious events in our sport and the experience of representing your nation in a team event is a true honour as an athlete.
“We wish all of our athletes the best of luck and we can’t wait to see you on court in Chengdu.”
The Thomas Cup was first held in 1949 and has been won a record 14 times by Indonesia, although India is the current champion after defeating Indonesia 3-0 during the 2022 edition in Thailand.
The Uber Cup’s history commenced in 1957 and has been won a record 15 times by China, however, at the 2022 tournament South Korea defeated China 3-2 to claim its second title.
The following players/squad/teams have been chosen by the Badminton Australia Selectors Panel in line with the Badminton Australia Selection Policy.
Badminton Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of Anna Ronald (FCPA) as the organisation’s new Financial Controller.
Anna joins Badminton Australia with more than 20 years of accounting experience within the sports and not-for-profit sectors in both Australia and the UK. Anna’s financial expertise in sport includes working in cricket, rowing and baseball, in addition to managing her own practice.
Badminton Australia Chief Executive Officer Tjitte Weistra said: “Anna’s knowledge and proven record of success within the sports industry will be highly advantageous to the future financial operations of Badminton Australia. We welcome Anna to our team and look forward to her contributions.”
Anna’s qualifications include a Bsc (Hons) in Applied Accounting, as well as being a CPA Public Practitioner and Registered Tax Agent.
“I am thrilled for this opportunity to join Badminton Australia and equally excited to use my knowledge of the finance and sports industries to ensure badminton continues to grow in Australia,” she said.
“I’m really looking forward to joining the team at BA, and starting a new chapter in my sports industry career.”
TJ Weistra thanked outgoing Financial Controller Anita Barbuto for her commitment to Badminton Australia.
“Anita had been an integral part of our organisation for many years, has been instrumental in the implementation of very robust finance practices and we thank her for the high-level of professionalism and dedication to the role,” he said.
“We will miss Anita and wish her nothing but the very best for the future.”
Media Contact: Anthony Pinda (Event and Communications Manager) for any further enquiries.
There’s plenty on the line this week in Thailand for the Australians competing at the NSDF Royal Beach Cliff BWF Para Badminton World Championships.
The record 14-strong squad is the biggest Australian contingent to ever attend the Championships which begins on Tuesday in Pattaya.
The Australian team includes a mixture of youth and experience, with some athletes making their World Championship debut, while for others it marks their fourth time competing.
As we draw closer to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, this event also stands as the final opportunity to amass crucial world ranking points for the Race to Paris.
“Qualifying for World Championships is a big deal, and for many, a dream come true,” said Badminton Australia CEO, Tjitte Weistra.
“Having the largest contingent of Australian players attend tournament is a sign of the growth of para badminton in Australia, particularly in recent years.”
Badminton Australia General Manager Participation and Para, Clare Walker said the size of the team was testament to the support which the para badminton program had received.
“With the support of the Australian Institute of Sport and Paralympics Australia, we are able to offer opportunities such as development camps for players to come together and train,” Walker said.
“By encouraging participation at grassroots, we have forged a strong partnership with Disability Sports Australia to deliver badminton through its Abilities Unleashed multi-sport days, in addition to what States and Territories offer.
“There is still a long way to go to develop para badminton in Australia, however, Badminton Australia with our partners is committed to continuing to work towards an even stronger program in the future.”
Australian Officials in attendance include Badminton Australia CEO Tjitte Weistra, National Para Badminton Head Coach Ian Bridge, Team Manager and Physiotherapist Pinakin Godse, and Abigail Rothery who is in attendance as a Development Coach.
Stephen Hadlow from Paralympics Australia has also travelled to Thailand and will be working with a remote VIS analyst to gather insights for targeted athletes with the potential to simulate anticipated set-ups that will be implemented as part of the Paris Performance Analysis Hub.
Stay tuned to Badminton Australia’s social media channels throughout the week for more content and updates from all the action in Thailand.
Badminton Australia endorses the 2024 Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement which aims to improve safety and health outcomes for all people who suffer concussive injuries while
participating in sport.
To Read more about the 2024 Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement, click here.
Anders Antonsen with Ricky Tang and Coach Joachim Persson.
Badminton Australia welcomes world top-10 Danish Men’s Singles player Anders Antonsen who is spending time in Australia during the lead up to the start of his 2024 season.
Anders will be in the country for a few weeks of training ahead of his next tournament, the PETRONAS Malaysian Open in January.
“Australia is very far from Denmark, but since I had just finished competing at a tournament in Asia (HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2023) and will be playing in Asia again in early January, it made sense to have a stopover here,” he said.
“It’s one of the aspects I love about being a badminton player, having the opportunity to travel to new countries and exploring different cultures and cuisines.
“I am really into food and coffee, and I’ve heard that Melbourne is a great place for it.”
Anders Antonsen secured a Bronze Medal in the Men’s Singles at the World Tour Finals 2023.
Anders had a strong year on court in 2023 which included a Bronze Medal at the BWF World Championships on home soil in Denmark, Gold at the Korea Open and another Bronze just recently at the BWF World Tour Finals in China.
While in the country Anders will spend time on court sparring against Australian Falcons, which began with a session with Ricky Tang earlier in the week.
“It was a light session today, but we will definitely increase as the week progresses,” Anders said.
“Hopefully the players will have some great sessions and I will do my best to help them on court. I am grateful for them coming down to play.”
Ricky was the first Falcon to step on court with Anders on Tuesday morning and embraced every minute of the experience.
“It was an honour to train with Anders and his coach. I was a bit nervous coming into the session, but they were very welcoming and helpful,” Ricky said.
Ricky Tang in action at the Sathio Group Australian Badminton Open.
“I feel like I’ve taken a lot away from the session. It was fantastic to gain first-hand experience of the European style of training and be a part of his preparations before he competes in Malaysia.”
Ricky also had a standout year on court, which included Gold in the Men’s Singles at the YONEX National Championships in Bendigo, in addition to his Australian Sudirman Cup squad debut in China.
His next tournament is the VICTOR Badminton Oceania Championships where he will be in action in both the Men’s Team Championship and Individuals.
National Head Coach Leanne Choo said training with Anders presented a unique experience for the Australian players.
“We are thrilled that Anders has chosen to come to Australia to train in the lead-up to the PETRONAS Malaysian Open in January,” Leanne said.
“While in the country he will be sparring with some of the Australian Falcons, which for them is an incredible opportunity.
“They will have the chance to learn from a world top-10 singles player who will no doubt challenge them, while also provide a great insight into how they can improve their own performances on court.
“Overall, we hope he enjoys his time with us, and we look forward to working with him.”
Anders Antonsen and Coach Joachim Persson at the World Tour Finals 2023
Anders’ passion for badminton extends far beyond just competitive play as he is dedicated to promoting the sport and creating content to reach greater audiences.
Part of this involves hosting a podcast with fellow Danish player Hans-Kristian Vittinghus called The Badminton Experience.
“I’ve always been into creating content and I enjoy following sports that are good at branding,” Anders said.
“Creating a podcast was just another way to do something fun that was related to badminton. On the podcast we talk about all things badminton amongst ourselves and sometimes we invite other players onto the show.
“I have been travelling a lot lately which makes it hard to release content consistently, but I am trying my best to get more content out in the future.”
Maureen Wijaya, Ephraim Stephen Sam, Tom Champion, Jayden Lim and Victoria Tjonadi.
Junior Falcons recently travelled to Thailand to attend the Badminton Oceania Player Development Program where they visited world-class training facilities and competed in an elite tournament.
The Junior Falcons and coach representing Badminton Australia Tom Champion spent the week training at the Banthongyord Badminton School in Bangkok before they competed at the BAT YONEX Pathumthani Junior International Series.
Champion said it was a fantastic opportunity for the Australian athletes to have a glimpse into life at one of Thailand’s most elite badminton academies.
“Our players were very excited to have the chance to train at Banthongyord’s world class facilities, which naturally brought on some nerves,” he said.
“However, they embraced the challenge of daily three hour on-court sessions followed by two hours of physical training. Both their minds and bodies adapted fantastically after a couple of days.
“Everything was great. The coaches were all very welcoming, which ensured our players were a part of it all and helped them get straight to work.”
One of the most eye-opening elements of attending the camp for both Champion and the players was seeing how international players approach training programs.
“The culture and mindset brought to the court by the Banthongyord players definitely stood out the most,” Champion said.
“Every session they are early, start their own warm up and conduct the same routine together as a team.
“The moment they step on court their intensity performing drills or competing against their teammates is just like a tournament, but as soon as they’re off the court, it’s back to the supportive and motivating attitude of each other.
“Cool downs all conducted together and done properly each time. The mentality that each Banthongyord player brings to each on-court and physical session allows them to get the most out of it and make great improvements to their all-round game.”
Following the week at Banthongyord, it was then time to put the experience into action at the BAT YONEX Pathumthani Junior International Series where there were players from across the world in contention.
Above all, Champion said it was a highly memorable opportunity for both himself and the players.
“We are all extremely grateful for the experience and proud to represent both Australia and Oceania in one of the best badminton nations in the world,” he said.
Badminton Australia National Performance Manager Brent Miller said the Program in Thailand provided critical learning lessons for overall player development.
“These opportunities are very important for the development of our athletes as they present the chance to compete, train and socialise with players that they don’t usually have exposure to back in Australia,” he said.
“The ability to not only train but also compete was a great opportunity to develop different key areas of their game.”
Miller said the focus for the players was to now bring back the newfound knowledge to their training programs in Australia.
“We hope each athlete brings back their own individual learning lessons and can share these with their clubs, states, and fellow Falcons,” he said.
“On an individual level the new skills are both technical and tactical, but also the experience of traveling and playing on the international stage for many of them was their first event overseas.
“They now understand what it takes to perform at this level and can take responsibility for themselves.”
Badminton Australia is thrilled to announce the team selections for the Oceania region TotalEnergies BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Qualifiers.
Falcons will travel to Geelong, Victoria from February 16-18 to compete in the VICTOR Oceania Men’s and Women’s Team Championships where they will take on the best players from across the region.
The winner of the Men’s and Women’s Team Championships in Geelong will then represent Oceania at the prestigious TotalEnergies BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu, China in April.
Badminton Australia CEO Tjitte (TJ) Weistra congratulated all players on their selections.
“It’s an incredible honour for an athlete to have the opportunity to represent their country in a team event,” he said.
“These players have put in endless hours of hard work both on and off the badminton court and now it’s their time to put their effort into action at the Thomas and Uber Cup Qualifiers.
“Congratulations to all of the players and we can’t wait to watch you on court in Geelong.”
The VICTOR Oceania Men’s and Women’s Team Championships will be held after the VICTOR Oceania Open Individual Championships (February 12-15).
The Thomas Cup was first held in 1949 and has been won a record 14 times by Indonesia, although India is the current champion after defeating Indonesia 3-0 during the 2022 edition in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Uber Cup’s history commenced in 1957 and has been won a record 15 times by China, however, at the 2022 tournament South Korea defeated China 3-2 to claim its second title.
Also announced this week was the reselection of the Junior Falcons with the Senior Falcons being reselected at the conclusion of the Oceania Championships in February.
Badminton Australia is thrilled to announce that the Badminton Association of Western Australia has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2024 YONEX Australian U15/U19 National Championships.
Junior teams from across Australia will compete at Perth’s Kingsway Indoor Stadium in the City of Wanneroo from Tuesday July 9 – Sunday July 14 for the CP Maddern Trophy (U19) and the Val Nesbitt Trophy (U15) before they contend the Individual events.
Badminton Australia CEO Tjitte Weistra expressed his excitement to hold a National Championship event in Western Australia.
“The level of talent and skill across our junior players in Australia ensures that the YONEX Australian U15/U19 National Championships are going to be a highly successful event,” he said.
“We are delighted to partner with BAWA to host the 2024 edition of the tournament as they are a proud badminton state and are passionate about the growth of our sport.
“After the thrilling matches at the 2023 U15/U19 Nationals, we can’t wait to head over to Perth next year to see all the players in action.
“We are very pleased to once again have the support of YONEX who are on board for 2024 as the event’s major sponsor.”
The Badminton Association of WA was formed in 1924 and became affiliated with the then Badminton Association of Australia in 1936.
The organisation built its own badminton-specific headquarters in 1962, the first Australian association to take this step, and the Wembley Centre was officially opened in 1964. This stadium hosted numerous national and international events, until it was sold in 2000. The Badminton Association of WA then moved to its new headquarters at the Kingsway Indoor Stadium located in the City of Wanneroo.
Badminton Association of Western Australia President Judith Cousins was thrilled the event coincided with BAWA’s 100th anniversary.
“Western Australia has a proud place in the history of badminton, with the sport being played for the first time in 1900 in Fremantle,” she said.
“As we celebrate the 100th year of Badminton WA, this national event will be a highlight.”
BAWA Executive Officer Ghaz Ramli was excited to see a National Championship event return to Western Australia.
“The welcome news that we are the chosen hosts for the prestigious 2024 YONEX Australian U15/U19 National Championship event has been received with great interest and considerable excitement from our cohort of young players and their parents,” he said.
“It will be five years since WA last hosted a national and with a strong background in hosting quality competitions this event will showcase badminton in WA as well as the opportunity for our state to welcome junior players, accompanying officials and families to Perth.
“Badminton is a very popular sport in Western Australia and the state has produced many champions who started their careers at a junior national event, and went on to represent Australia at the International level.”
During the 2023 running of the event in South Australia, New South Wales claimed the prestigious CP Maddern Trophy while Victoria triumphed to lift the Val Nesbitt Trophy after a 6-2 win over Western Australia.
In addition, Western Australian Mimi Ngo won gold in the U15 GS, U15 GD and U15 MD.
2023 Individual Winners:
U15 – BS: Om Neelam (VIC), GS: Mimi Ngo (WA), BD: Om Neelam (VIC)/Aneesh Nirmal (QLD), GD: Tanvi Sai Mushini (VIC)/Mimi Ngo (WA) and XD: Om Neelam (VIC)/Mimi Ngo (WA)
U19: – MS: Asher Ooi (NSW), WS: Isabella Yan (NSW), MD: Jordan Yang/Frederick Zhao (VIC), WD: Dania Nugroho/Catrina Tan (SA), XD: Jordan Yang (VIC)/Sydney Tjonadi (NSW)
For any further media enquiries, interviews with BA or BAWA staff, please contact BA Events and Communications Manager Anthony.pinda@badminton.au.
Crown Group
Crown Group is a highly successful property development group, with a reputation for building globally leading luxury and hotel apartments. The Crown Group has been a supporter of the Australian Badminton Open.
Commonwealth Games Australia
Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) is a member-based organisation that administers, controls and coordinates the participation of program sports at the Commonwealth Games every four year. Badminton Australia is extremely proud of its work with CGA and is keen to continue such a great relationship with the staff at CGA into the future.
BWF
The Badminton World Federation is the global body responsible for the development of badminton, with a vision to give every child the chance to play badminton, the BWF are key to the success of badminton at any level. Badminton Australia is a member of the BWF. Having supported the development of international tournaments in Australia and the development of athletes to the highest level, BA is very grateful to have the support of the BWF.
Badminton Oceania
Badminton Oceania is the representative for the Badminton World Federation in the Oceania region. They are responsible for the development and progress of badminton within the Oceania region. Badminton Oceania are a great supporter of Badminton Australia and work closely with BA on a regular basis.
Australian Olympic Committee
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is a non-government, not-for-profit focused on developing youth and sport. The AOC is responsible for the funding, supporting, selection and sending of Australia athletes to the Olympics every four years. The AOC provides significant support to the Australian Badminton Falcons and the Badminton Australia Performance Pathway. Badminton Australia is very thankful and is perpetually excited for Australian badminton players to represent their country Olympic Games.
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is the second arm of the Australian Sports Commission, the focus of the AIS is at all aspects of high-performance sport and as a result Badminton’s High-Performance teams work with the leading minds at the AIS. Badminton Australia has been working with the AIS for many years and with a continued focus on high performance excellence, both home and abroad, is excited to continue to work with the AIS long into the future.
Li-Ning
Li-Ning is a global leader in sports apparel, with a focus on badminton, Badminton Australia is proud to be partnered with an organisation with such a rich and successful history in sport and for it to support the Australian Badminton Falcons. Li-Ning has supported Olympic medal athletes across the world and continues to push badminton apparel forward.
Sport Australia
Sport Australia is an arm of the Australian Sports Commission that is responsible for the broader sport sector. Included in their responsibilities are participation, governance and supporting activities that link to the sport industries growth and sustainability long term. Badminton Australia works closely with Sport Australia in areas of participation, governance and other sport related activities.
YONEX
YONEX has been a supporter of the sport of badminton globally since 1957 when they produced their first badminton racquets. As the business has expanded so too has their equipment and apparel offerings. YONEX has supported badminton in Australia at all levels for a number of years and badminton Australia is very excited to continue its relationship with an organisation that has been involved in the sport for so long.
