Mohammed Obaid Hilal Al Naqbi hails Badminton Asia’s support to the UAE Badminton Federation.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Badminton Asia recently hosted its annual general meeting of 2022 in Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang, Malaysia. A total of 57 delegates attended the meeting and eight delegates joined virtually, all coming from 27 Member Associations.

During the meeting, the UAE Badminton Federation and the Asian Badminton Federation officials discussed the plans and mechanisms for developing and promoting the game through ambitious strategic plans, especially in view of the rising interest by UAE clubs to form teams that participate in various tournaments.

At the annual general meeting, the UAE Badminton Federation was represented by Mohammed Obaid Hilal Al Naqbi, member of the federation's Board of Directors and Head of the Activities Committee.

During the meeting, it was announced that UAE will host Badminton Asia Championships and Badminton Asia Team Championships for the next five years, starting in 2023.

The five-year contract was made possible in partnership with Beyond Boundaries.

This will be the first time the UAE will host Asian Championships. The team championships will be held in February and the individual championships will be in April.

The move follows appreciation of the UAE's organisational position and encouragement for the recently formed federation for the game.

Naqbi, confirmed that several separate meetings were held with the continental federations under the umbrella of the Asian Badminton Confederation, which contributed to gaining more expertise and access to the various visions and experiences of these bodies, especially since it is the first external meeting for the UAE Badminton Federation.

Naqbi praised the Asian confederation's interest and its support to the UAE Badminton Federation it received in order to ensure a strong presence on the regional and international scene during the coming period, especially since the UAE federation is still in its early stages.