OSIM raise the stakes in World Superseries

The OSIM BWF World Superseries just got better.

Already flushed with an increase in total prize money to USD 4,450,000, OSIM, the title sponsor for the Superseries have now thrown in added incentive of an OSIM uDivine massage chair to all winners of the 12-leg event.

OSIM, a global leader in branded well-being and healthy lifestyle products, and the Badminton World Federation, have a three-year deal that makes OSIM the Title Sponsor of the BWF World Superseries. The three-year deal, beginning 2011, will include all 13 events in the BWF World Superseries calendar, including the BWF World Superseries Finals.

"OSIM's decision to reward each winner with a uDivine massage chair will be an added value to the Superseries and we are delighted to pass on this benefit to the players," said BWF President Dr Kang Young Joong. "The uDivine massage chairs are on top of the financial agreement and as such, it is an extremely good gesture on the part of OSIM. We hope the incentive will motivate the players even more."

This means all winners, including both players in doubles, will each receive a uDivine massage chair irrespective of how many times a player or pair wins a Superseries event. Simply put, the more title won, the more uDivine massage chairs that a player or pair will get as well. uDivine is the World's 1st Human-3D massage chair that provides an intelligent and precise massage based on the human body contours, delivering the most humanized and effective full body massage.

"This incentive scheme reaffirms OSIM's commitment to develop and promote the OSIM BWF World Superseries," said OSIM Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ron Sim. "The Superseries attracts the world's best players and the OSIM uDivine is a fitting reward for these elite players." "After all, there is a heavenly massage awaiting them at the end as they bask in the afterglow of their hard-fought victory."

The 12 Superseries events offer an increase of USD 1,750,000 more in prize money compared to 2010, with five of the events selected as Premier Series events. The Korea Open, with USD 1.2 million prize money, is the highest ever for a badminton tournament. The other four Premier Series events are Indonesia Open (USD 600,000) and Denmark Open, All England Championships and China Open - which offer a minimum total prize money of USD 350,000 for each event. The seven Super Series events are the Malaysia Open, India Open, Singapore Open, China Masters, Japan Open, French Open and Hong Kong Open. With the exception of the Malaysia Open, which offered USD 400,000 in total prize money, all the other Superseries events offer USD 200,000 each.

Source : Badminton World Federation

Suharso Suhandinata (1916-2010)

Former International Badminton Federation Executive Board member Suharso Suhandinata passed away on Thursday 11 November 2011 in Jakarta. He was 94.

Suharso, widely credited for his role together with the late Dick Sudirman in the unification of the then International Badminton Federation (IBF) and World Badminton Federation (WBF) in 1981, was an embodiment of grace and merit, serving the establishment at various levels but most prominently as an administrator and a diplomat.

Suharso played a major role in pushing for the then IBF to include the Sudirman Cup in its calendar in memory of the efforts of Dick Sudirman in uniting IBF and WBF.

He was also well known for his passion and commitment towards the development of badminton for youth, a fact which is clearly demonstrated in the running of his family’s club – Tangkas.

And in recognition of the family’s contribution to badminton, especially badminton for youth, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) renamed the World Junior Team Championship to the Suhandinata Cup in 2008.

Born third to a family of seven on 20 September 1916 in Bandung, Indonesia, Suharso completed his education at the La Salle college in Hong Kong and returned home to join his family business in Jakarta.

A player in his younger days, Suharso soon realised that his niche was rather in the management of the sport and so in 1962 took over the running of Tangkas.

This was to be the start of a journey that saw him rise through the ranks of the Indonesian Badminton Federation (PBSI) to a seat on the Executive Board of the then International Badminton Federation to which he was elected in 1975 and served until 1983.

A long serving member of the PBSI, the affable Suharso, the doyen of the Suhandinata family, was a highly respected member of the international badminton community.

Probably his greatest contribution to the sport and a personal achievement could be traced to 26^th May 1981. On this day, the IBF and the breakaway World Badminton Federation were unified as one body after a break of three years. Suharso, along with his mentor Dr. Sudirman, was primarily instrumental in bringing the two federations together through the initiation of a series of meetings between the two parties.

The BWF also honoured Suharso with the Distinguished Service Award in 1986. He was also recipient of Indonesia’s highest award for a sport activist in 1971, the Satya Lencana Kebudayaan.

Though Suharso had not been active in the sport in his later years, his interest in the sport that he had devoted a lifetime to, never waned. He continued to be an interested party, deriving great pleasure watching it on the television, reading in the papers and journals and sharing it with the ‘legacy’ he has left behind his sons – Justian, Juniarto, Franklin and Ricky.

Justian emulated his dad and his now a member in the Council of the BWF while Juniarto is a Certificated Referee. His two other children Franklin and Ricky are in the family business.

Suharso Suhandinata, who had lost his wife in 2008, leaves behind 4 sons, 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

He will be laid to rest on Sunday 14^th November 2010 in the city of Trangerang, some 20km west of Jakarta.

Source : Badminton World Federation

Media Announcement: Korea Open make history, India get Super Series nod

In a major boost for badminton and the players involved in the sport, the Badminton World Federation today announced the hosts for the 2011-2013 Super Series season with the first ever million dollar prize money in a single tournament next year.

Expressing his delight with the development, BWF president Dr Kang Young Joong also announced that the Super Series circuit next year will offer combined total prize money of USD4.7 million, a substantial increase from the USD3.3 million total prize money on offer for the 2010 season.

“There is more money in the sport, we have our first ever million dollar prize money tournament, and above all, the BWF received a strong interest from our Members to be a part of the Super Series circuit,” said Dr Kang after chairing a Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

“These are positives for the sport and I firmly believe we are heading in the right direction in terms of developing and promoting the sport. The future is bright.”

The 12 hosts of the Super Series circuit for the 2011-2013 seasons are Denmark, England, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and China hosting two legs.

From the 12 Super Series events, five have been selected as Premier Series events, with the Korea Open offering USD1.2 million prize money followed by Indonesia on USD600,000. The other three Premier Series events – Denmark Open, All England Championships and China Open - offer a minimum total prize money of USD350,000 for each event.

The BWF introduced the Super Series format in 2007 to showcase badminton at a higher level of presentation and competitiveness, to increase television coverage for the sport and to increase the star quality and popularity of the top players in the world through increased television coverage.

Following a review of its events in 2009, the BWF decided to introduce a two-tier Super Series circuit – the Premier Series and Super Series. The Super Series circuit offers a minimum total prize money of USD200,000 for each tournament.

A total of 17 applications were received from Member Associations to be included as a Super Series event with another eight applications received for the Premier Series.

2011 SUDIRMAN CUP TO BE HELD IN QINGDAO, CHINA

KUALA LUMPUR (15 MAY 2010) – The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced after their Annual General Meeting (AGM) today that next year’s Sudirman Cup World Team Championships will be held in Qingdao, China from May 22-29 .
Representing the BWF at the signing ceremony were BWF president Dr Kang Young Joong and BWF deputy president Paisan Rangsikitpho while the Chinese Badminton Association was their secretary-general Liu Fengyan with Qingdao Badminton Association represented by their honorary vice-president Oeng Yinian.
BWF president Dr Kang Young Joong also announced that badminton at the 2012 London Olympics will be played at the Wembley Arena.
“This was agreed by the BWF, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Local Organising Committee Olympic Games (LOCOG). As a matter of routine, this will now go to the Olympic Board for ratification,” said Dr Kang.
The BWF and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have also agreed to extend the contract to house the BWF headquarters in Kuala Lumpur until 2013.