Badminton World C’ships return to Indonesia

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KUALA LUMPUR: Jakarta will host the 2015 Badminton World Championships, the sport’s governing body said yesterday, more than two decades after the premier event was last played in Indonesia.

The Indonesian capital beat Kunshan, a city in China, which hosted this year’s edition, said the Kuala Lumpur-based Badminton World Federation (BWF) in a statement.

“There is clearly significant experience among you in hosting events and in certain instances, specifically badminton events,” BWF President Poul-Erik H yer said during the announcement in Greece.

Jakarta’s two-member delegation to Athens promised that the city’s Istora Senayan Stadium will offer its famed charged atmosphere come 2015, when the World Championships return to Asia from Denmark.

“It is going to be even better than the Indonesia Open and everybody knows how exciting that is,” declared Bambang Roedyanto, International Relations Manager for the Badminton Association of Indonesia.

The tournament regularly sees about 400 players from across the globe compete for the title of world champion in five categories: men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles.

The BWF also announced that the southern Chinese city of Dongguan will host the 2015 Sudirman Cup, the mixed team world championships.

The last time the world championships were played in Indonesia was in 1989. — AFP