
“It is with great pleasure that I announce that BWF and Special Olympics International have joined forces as part of a greater effort to grow the sport of badminton,” he said.
“In line with our motto that badminton is a sport for all, we are committed to providing avenues of participation for everyone.
“What we have seen here this week in Abu Dhabi is an amazing platform that allows people of great spirit to show the world what they can do.
“This partnership will hopefully foster the establishment of more platforms to allow children and adults with intellectual disabilities to experience badminton all the time.”
Chairman of Special Olympics, Dr. Timothy Shriver, echoed Høyer’s thoughts saying the shared common values of both organisations lent itself to long-term cooperation.
“Special Olympics is excited to have the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the Badminton World Federation,” he said.
“Our shared vision enables us to create additional opportunities for our athletes to learn about badminton and to experience the joy of the sport.”
The partnership will see:
- SOI recognise BWF as an official international partner
- BWF provide high-quality training opportunities, where appropriate to identified Special Olympics personnel
- SOI endorse BWF Shuttle Time and its Coach Education programmes as an example of best practice in supporting the growth and development of badminton as an inclusive sport for all; and
- BWF facilitate the delivery of a safe, fun and positive experience of badminton
“These are exciting times and we look forward to this new relationship evolving in the coming years.”
The announcement came at the conclusion of a fantastic week of badminton at the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, with 150 badminton players from 58 countries participating.
More related article here:
BWF AND SPECIAL OLYMPICS LAUNCH LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP