2025 BWF AirBadminton World Cup

The 2025 BWF AirBadminton World Cup is the inaugural edition of the world championship for AirBadminton, the outdoor version of badminton governed by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 11 to December 14, 2025, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

As the first major international tournament dedicated exclusively to the AirBadminton format, the event features 12 national teams qualifying through their respective continental championships. The competition includes three categories: Men’s Triples, Women’s Triples, and the Mixed Team Relay.

Host Selection and Venue

Sharjah was selected as the host city in mid-2025, reflecting the United Arab Emirates’ growing investment in diverse sporting events. The tournament is held at a purpose-built pop-up arena on the Khor Fakkan beachfront along the Sharjah Corniche. The venue features sand courts, utilizing the beach setting central to the identity of AirBadminton, which is designed to be played on sand, grass, or hard courts using the wind-resistant “AirShuttle.”

Competition Format

The World Cup utilizes specific AirBadminton rules which differ significantly from traditional indoor badminton, particularly in scoring and team composition.

• Triples (Men’s and Women’s): Matches are played in a best-of-five games format. Each game is played to 9 points. If the score reaches 8-all, a team must lead by two points to win; if it reaches 12-all, the next point (13th) wins. Teams consist of three players on the court, allowing for different strategic formations.
• Mixed Team Relay: A “tie” consists of four matches played in a specific order: Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Triples, and Men’s Triples. The scoring is cumulative (relay style). The first match plays to 15 points, the second to 30, the third to 45, and the fourth to 60. The first team to reach 60 points wins the tie.

Participating Nations

Twelve nations qualified for the inaugural tournament based on their performances at Continental Championships held in Pan America, Africa, Europe, and Asia-Pacific earlier in 2025.

• Asia: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia
• Europe: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Germany
• Pan America: Brazil, Venezuela
• Africa: Egypt, Nigeria
• Oceania: Australia
• Host: United Arab Emirates

Group Stage Draw

The group stage draw was conducted in late November 2025. The 12 teams were divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D) across the three event categories.

Men’s Triples

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Indonesia	Egypt	Hong Kong	Germany
Brazil	Bulgaria	Nigeria	China
United Arab Emirates	Azerbaijan	Australia	Venezuela

Women’s Triples

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Hong Kong	Germany	Indonesia	Egypt
China	Nigeria	Brazil	Azerbaijan
Australia	United Arab Emirates	Venezuela	Bulgaria

Mixed Team Relay

The Team Relay is often considered the marquee event, testing the overall depth of a national squad.

• Group A: Hong Kong, Nigeria, Bulgaria
• Group B: Egypt, Venezuela, China
• Group C: Brazil, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates
• Group D: Germany, Indonesia, Australia

Schedule

• December 11, 2025: Group Stage (Men’s & Women’s Triples)
• December 12, 2025: Knockout Stages (Men’s & Women’s Triples) — Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals
• December 13, 2025: Group Stage (Team Relay)
• December 14, 2025: Knockout Stages (Team Relay) — Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals

Notable Players

The tournament features a mix of specialists and former indoor stars transitioning to the outdoor game. Notably, former men’s singles top-10 player Wong Wing Ki Vincent is leading the Hong Kong squad, positioning them as strong contenders in the Team Relay event.