(Ottawa, ON) – On Monday May 22^nd, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced that Badminton Canada has been awarded the 2018 World Junior Badminton Championships, to be held at the Pan Am Centre in Markham, Ontario in November of 2018. This marks only the third time that Canada has hosted a World Badminton Championships, having previously hosted the 2004 World Junior Badminton Championships (Richmond, BC) and the 1985 World Championships (Calgary, AB).  The World Junior Badminton Championships is the largest of the BWF World Championships, attracting upwards of 40 countries and over 500 athletes and coaches.

“Badminton Canada is extremely excited about this opportunity to host the World Juniors in Canada.” Said Joe Morissette, Executive Director of Badminton Canada. “This event capitalizes on the legacy of the 2015 Pan American Games, and the 2014 Senior Pan American Championships, both hosted at the Pan Am Centre in Markham, Ontario.”

The World Junior Championships are a great opportunity to showcase rising stars among the next generation of world class badminton athletes. With hosting this international tournament, Badminton Canada believes this event is a huge step for our high-performance and long-term development programs.

“Hosting this event well aligns with our targeted, long-term approach to putting athletes on the podium at the Olympics” continued Joe Morissette, “we understand that producing and developing world champions is a process. Hosting events such as the 2018 World Junior Championships is an important step in supporting our next generation of athletes.”

“Winning a bid for any World Championships in any sport takes a significant amount of work and dedication at so many levels” said Martha Deacon, Director of High Performance on the Badminton Ontario Board, and co-presenter of the bid to the BWF with the Badminton Canada President, Anil Kaul; “we bid knowing the enormity of the task but also in understanding the opportunity that it presents to our nation, to our athletes and to showcase the international diversity of our sport to the GTA”.

With Badminton Canada and Badminton Ontario working collaboratively to bring one of the most prestigious events in badminton to Canada, there is only excitement and optimism surrounding the international competition.

“We are absolutely thrilled with this news from the BWF, and want to thank them for their confidence in our ability to host such a prestigious competition. This is a testament to the living legacy for our sport – from the world class facility that is the Markham Pan Am Centre, to our hundreds of volunteers that were trained for the Games and continue to dedicate so much of their time to building our sport” said Ian Moss, President of Badminton Ontario.

“Not only will this competition showcase the future World and Olympic Badminton champions, but it will offer a massive opportunity for our Canadian athletes and coaches to measure themselves against the best in the world” he continued.

Canada will be hosting the 2017 Pan Am Junior Badminton Championships at the Pan Am Centre in Markham from July 21-28^th, and will serve as an excellent preparation event for hosting the World Junior Badminton Championships the following year.

Badminton Canada encourages everyone to come out and support our Canadian athletes for the both the 2017 Jr. Pan American Championships as well as the 2018 World Juniors. These events will have world class performances, and will certainly provide an unforgettable experience for all those who attend. We look forward to seeing you at the Markham Pan Am Centre!

 

Mike Luck
Events & Communications Officer
Badminton Canada