S’pore Badminton Open back to Super 500 status from 2027 after BWF Tour revamp

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Badminton Open (SBO) will return as a Super 500 event from 2027, following a major overhaul of the competition structure announced by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Feb 9.

The tournament, which was classified as a Super 500 event from 2018 to 2022, was upgraded to Super 750 status from 2023 to 2026.

Under the new BWF World Tour cycle from 2027 to 2030, Singapore will be one of the nine countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, to host Super 500 events.

Noting the many changes the SBO has undergone since it was inaugurated in 1929, Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) chief executive officer Woo Kaiwei said it was still able to attract top-tier talent, even during its earlier Super 500 phase.

Former world champions Kento Momota and P.V. Sindhu are among its past winners. Japan’s former world No. 1 Momota claimed the men’s singles title in 2015 and 2019, while India’s Sindhu lifted the women’s singles trophy in 2022.

Woo said: “We remain committed to hosting the SBO as a world-class event that continues to attract top international players and deliver an exceptional experience for athletes, partners and fans alike.

“Moreover, we will be looking for more sponsors and new collaborations to make the Open one of the most memorable tournaments on the BWF Tour.”

He added that this would allow the event to showcase budding talent.

“We are excited that as a Super 500 series in the next few years, more young players and future stars who are ranked outside the top 32 in the world will be able to come to Singapore,” said Woo.

“This would also provide an opportunity for more of our local shuttlers whose world rankings are between 50 to 80 to be able to play before a home crowd.”

Singapore’s world No. 9 Loh Kean Yew acknowledged that the switch in status will bring about changes, but stressed that his focus was on performing well regardless.

He said: “The Singapore Open being Super 750 and Super 500 has some differences in ranking points and tourism business aspects for sure, but as a player, I’ll try my best to play to my best in front of the home crowd whenever I get the opportunity.”

Currently, the BWF World Tour tournaments are divided into five levels – Super 300, Super 500, Super 750, Super 1000 and the season-ending World Tour Finals.

Each of these tournaments offers different prize money and ranking points that contribute towards qualification for the season finale. The highest points and prize pool are offered at the Super 1000 level.

The revamped tour will feature 36 tournaments within a six-tier structure, with the integration of Super 100 tournaments into the circuit for the first time.

There will also be an expanded annual prize pool of up to US$26.9 million (S$34 million).

BWF president Patama Leeswadtrakul said of the expansion: “We are building a sport that speaks to the next generation.

“It is a bold undertaking, but it is exactly what our sport needs to thrive. This is the culmination of our shared vision and partnership with (broadcast and commercial partner) Infront to elevate badminton’s global standing and unlock its full potential.”

Under the new structure, the five Super 1000 tournaments in China, Denmark, England, Indonesia and Malaysia will each offer a minimum of US$2 million in prize money, up from the current US$1.45 million.

Each of the five Super 750 events will carry a prize pool of at least US$1.1 million, with US$560,000 for Super 500, US$290,000 for Super 300 and US$140,000 for Super 100 tournaments.

Besides offering more money, the Super 1000 tournaments will feature an expanded format. Singles events will see 48 players competing in the group stage before the elimination rounds, while doubles events will follow a 32-pair knockout draw.

Each tournament will take place over 11 days, spanning two weekends, as compared to the current six-day period.

Commenting on the format changes to the Super 1000 series, Singapore’s 2022 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles gold medallist Terry Hee said: “A rule is a rule. Athletes should always adapt to it, manage it and not complain about it because the same rule applies to everyone.

“Of course, athletes can voice out because some changes may benefit you individually and some don’t, but ultimately, we all have to follow the rules or the format of the sport. It’s hard to please everyone, so let’s just give it a go.”

Loh added: “I don’t know if this is a good move. All we can do is try our best to adapt and hopefully it suits our new routine.”

The number of teams involved in the biennial Sudirman Cup (world mixed team championship), Thomas Cup (men’s team) and Uber Cup (women’s team) will also increase from 16 to 24 from 2027.

The BWF World Championships format, too, will be tweaked to feature a group stage, followed by the knockout rounds – a change which guarantees at least two matches for each player.