Birmingham City Council hosts Utilita Arena Birmingham, Badminton England and YONEX to celebrate 30 years of Badminton in Birmingham
23 March 2023Utilita Arena Birmingham, Badminton England and YONEX have been celebrating three decades of All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham.
Utilita Arena Birmingham, Badminton England and YONEX have been celebrating three decades of All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham.
To celebrate, a civic dinner was held at the Library of Birmingham with key individuals in attendance, including: Mike Robinson – Chair, Badminton England, Sue Storey - Chief Executive Badminton England, Alyssa Yoneyama - President, YONEX, Casey Yoneyama - YONEX, Ian Ward – City Council Leader, Birmingham City Council, Andy Price - Commercial Director for NEC Group Ticketing and Arenas, and Guy Dunstan - Managing Director for NEC Group Ticketing and Arenas.
In addition, a plaque has been unveiled at the venue, cementing the partnership between Badminton England, YONEX, Utilita Arena Birmingham and Birmingham City Council.
From the 14th to 19th March, the Championships served up 155 matches and 50 hours of live badminton to visitors from across the globe, attracting a record attendance of over 30,000 attendees. The Championships are the world’s oldest and most prestigious event in the badminton calendar. Past winners include two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion Lin Dan, Carolina Marin, Olympic Champion and three-time world champion, and the current Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. This year, saw Li Shi Feng winning the men’s singles and An Se Young winning the women’s singles title.
Dunstan said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to host the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships at Utilita Arena Birmingham.
“Over the years, we’ve seen countless players smash their way onto the world stage, and we’re proud that we get to play host to the Championships each year. I’m looking forward to continuing our partnership, hopefully for the next 30 years and beyond.”
Storey added: “Badminton England are delighted to celebrate 30 years of the tournament being held at Utilita Arena Birmingham.
“Birmingham holds a very special place in our hearts and is an integral part of our sport and the legacy aspirations we have. Here’s to many more years working successfully together.”
Taiji Suzuki, Managing Director of YONEX UK, said: “In the year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of title sponsorship of the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships, we are delighted the Utilita Arena Birmingham can also celebrate a significant milestone in hosting these great championships for the past 30 years.
“We are honoured to have played a part in the growth and success of this prestigious tournament, and we remain committed to supporting Badminton England in their mission to develop and promote the sport in England. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Utilita Arena Birmingham, the NEC Group and all its staff for their dedication and hard work in hosting the championships for the past 30 years.
“Their enduring efforts have played a part in making this event the most iconic and eagerly anticipated in the badminton calendar, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration and success together."
Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “30 years of hosting the YONEX All England Open Championships here in Birmingham is a tremendous achievement and testament to the fact that this is a truly global sporting city.
"It’s a major coup for Birmingham to annually host the world’s biggest and best badminton tournament and we are looking forward to many more years of badminton in the city.”
To find out more about YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships, please visit: https://www.allenglandbadminton.com/about-the-championship/