Brazil, China Claim Triples Gold and Host UAE Stuns China to Win Team Relay Gold
December 16, 2025
The inaugural BWF AirBadminton World Cup 2025 got off to a thrilling start in Sharjah, where Brazil’s men’s team and China’s women’s team etched their names into history with commanding victories in the completed triples events.
Brazil’s trio of Izak Batalha, Deivid Silva, and Matheus Voigt produced a remarkable run, making headlines early by knocking out top seeds Indonesia in the group stage, then edging past China in a tense quarterfinal, overpowering Egypt in the semifinals, and finally sealing the title against Hong Kong China with a straight-games win of 9–6, 9–7, 9–5.
Their athleticism and explosive movement on the sand stood out as they combined agility, balance, and quick transitions to dominate rallies and adapt better than anyone to the unique outdoor conditions. Hong Kong China had not lost a single game all competition.
“This is a dream for us. We can’t explain the emotion,” said Voigt.
“Our opponents are very fast and aggressive. We tried to be calm and control the game,” added Silva.
The men’s podium was completed by UAE and Egypt, who claimed bronze medals after strong campaigns that showcased their growing presence in the sport.
On the women’s side, China proved the strongest team, with Chen Lu, Chen Xiao Fei, Feng Xue Ying, and Shi Liu Wang delivering a clinical performance to beat Bulgaria 9–4, 9–6, 9–3 in the final. They have been playing AirBadminton for six months now in preparation for this season.
Their triumph was built on resilience, having twice survived gruelling one-hour battles against Hong Kong China in earlier rounds.
“We are so happy. Our teamwork was very good today, we were hardworking,” said Chen Lu, Feng and Shi.
Earlier, Bulgaria had defeated UAE and Indonesia to progress to the final. “The emotion is very high. Maybe later we will recognise what we have achieved,” said Dimitria Popstoykova.
Hong Kong China and Indonesia completed the women’s podium with bronze medals.
The host nation UAE claimed a historic victory at the inaugural BWF AirBadminton World Cup 2025 in Sharjah, defeating China 60–54 in a tense 102-minute final to secure the Team Relay gold.
The home team held their nerve in the closing stages, sealing an emotional triumph in front of a packed stadium.
“We have no words. We didn’t expect this. We knew we were a strong team when we entered the tournament, and today just feels so surreal for me and the team,” said star player Dhiren Ayyappan.
The final was a thriller. UAE’s women, who had failed to reach top form in the individual competition, thrived in the team environment to keep the squad in contention. When the men’s matches began, UAE proved stronger under pressure as China tightened up. The hosts closed out the match 60–54, sparking emotional celebrations.
UAE’s path to the title was anything but easy. In the quarterfinals, they stunned tournament favourites Hong Kong China with a bold strategy, starting with the women’s triples. That decision paid off as UAE took a surprise lead and then never looked back, holding a narrow margin to the end to win 60–56.
In the semifinals, UAE delivered a commanding performance defeating Egypt 60–42. The team showed composure and confidence, proving their quarterfinal victory was no fluke.
“We would just like to thank the UAE Badminton Federation for giving us such a wonderful opportunity to perform and represent our country. Thank you to everyone for selecting us to be here today,” said Ayyappan.
China looked dominant earlier in the day, sweeping past Germany and then beating Brazil 60–52 in a competitive semifinal. Many expected them to take the title, but UAE had other plans.
Team China captain Chen Lu said: “We are very happy to play here in the UAE and hopefully next year we can come back and win the team title.”
The combined podium saw seven nations from four continents medal: China (1 gold, 1 silver), Brazil (1 gold, 1 bronze), UAE (1 gold, 1 bronze), Hong Kong China (1 silver, 1 bronze), Egypt (2 bronze), Bulgaria (1 silver), and Indonesia (1 bronze).
Brainchild of the AirBadminton concept, BWF Development Director Ian Wright, said: “I’m just so happy with the event. What a great finale to the four days.
“It’s a bit of a dream really having started developing the outdoor shuttle 12 years ago to finally making it to a global-level event and delivering it to such a high standard.
“I can only be so grateful to Sharjah Sport Council and the Local Organising Committee that have gone above and beyond these last four days.
“The results this week have highlighted the event’s success in creating opportunities for emerging badminton nations to compete with the powerhouse teams.”
There are big and bold plans for the BWF AirBadminton World Cup and its qualifying series to continue into 2026.
