The deafening noise and colorful sights inside the Istora Senayan Stadium will be the backdrop for the BWF World Championships 2015 as Jakarta was today selected as host city for that tournament.

BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer made the announcement in Athens, Greece, as the BWF Council revealed the host cities for its slate of Major Events in two years’ time.

The Indonesian capital beat the Chinese city of Kunshan (Jiangsu province) for the privilege of staging one of badminton’s showpiece events which returns to Asia, following the Championships going to Copenhagen, Denmark, next August.

Another Chinese city, Dongguan (in Guangdong), received the nod for the BWF Sudirman Cup 2015 while the popular BWF World Senior Championships head to Helsingborg in Sweden.

“We have been impressed by the technically sound and competent bids which were presented earlier today. There is clearly significant experience among you in hosting events and in certain instances, specifically badminton events,” Høyer (left) told delegates from the candidate cities.

Jakarta’s two-member delegation was delighted by the news and pledged the World Championships would “at least have the same standard as the Indonesia Open (a Superseries Premier event on the BWF World Superseries circuit)” which is known for its energetic atmosphere.

“We are grateful and we are going to make it one of the best World Championships. It is going to be even better than the Indonesia Open and everybody knows how exciting that is,” declared Bambang (Rudy) Roedyanto, International Relations Manager for PBSI (the Badminton Association of Indonesia).

Meanwhile, President of Badminton Sweden, Mats Tibbelin (right), said hosting the World Seniors could serve to further boost the “Increasing number of older persons playing badminton in Sweden”.

“Thanks for the opportunity to host this event and we will do our best,” he stressed, listing free transportation and several cultural and social activities among the incentives for foreign players and fans to travel to Helsingborg.

Vice Mayor of Dongguan, Yu Lijun, pledged her city’s compliance with all the obligations to host the Sudirman Cup (World Mixed Team Championships).

“We are very happy. I look forward to seeing you all in Dongguan.”

Prior to the announcement, officials from all four candidate cities made presentations to the BWF Council, showing how their respective bids satisfied the criteria and technical specifications to host the Major Event for which they were vying.

*****

*****

Above: Members of the Dongguan delegation pose with the BWF Council after today’s announcement of host cities for BWF Major Events in 2015.

BWF home page: PBSI (Badminton Association of Indonesia) officials, Bambang (Rudy) Roedyanto (left) and Roland Halim (right), pictured with BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer.