THE GAME

AirBadminton is BWF’s new discipline.  It is a dynamic and evolving development project, designed to expand the reach of badminton by creating accessible opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to play badminton outdoor. Whether on hard, grass and sand surfaces in parks, gardens, streets, playgrounds and beaches, AirBadminton brings the joy of badminton to everyone around the world.

Badminton, a globally loved sport with over 300 million active players, is renowned for its fun, inclusivity, and numerous health and social benefits. It enhances physical fitness – improving speed, endurance, strength, and agility – and promotes overall well-being by reducing stress and the risk of health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Notably, an hour of badminton can burn over 450 calories!

Recognising that many first encounter  badminton in an outdoor environment, we’re developed AirBadminton to make the sport more accessible worldwide through a new outdoor game and the innovative AirShuttle.  This specially designed shuttlecock, developed over five years in partnership with the Institute for Sports Research (ISR) at Nanyang Technological University, offers increased wind resistance for a more enjoyable outdoor experience. It maintains the familiar feel of badminton, using standard rackets and delivering excellent flight performance, spin response, and durability.

Our goal, in collaboration with our Global Development Partner, HSBC, is to establish a sustainable and effective way to encourage greater badminton participation in diverse outdoor settings.

AirBadminton has already made significant progress in the competitive arena. Notably, it was  selected as an official sport at the ANOC World Beach Games 2023.  Despite the cancellation of the event, the continental qualification tournaments held showcased AirBadminton’s potential as a thrilling competitive sport. Furthermore, regular AirBadminton tournaments are now being held at national and regional levels, demonstrating its growing popularity and competitive appeal. This includes continental championships that serve as qualifiers for the AirBadminton World Cup.

The 1st ever AirBadminton World Cup was held in Sharjah, UAE, in December 2025 with a 12 teams format.   Brazil, China and UAE won the Men’s Triples, Women’s Triples and the Team Relay respectively.

The vision for AirBadminton encompasses both mass participation and competitive excellence. It is designed to be played on all types of surfaces with a focus on increasing access to the sport globally, while the competitive version on sand continues to captivate global audiences. Through these initiatives, AirBadminton is creating a new era of outdoor badminton, bringing the sport’s benefits and excitement to more people than ever before.

For enquiries about the project please contact us via email at [email protected]