All England Open Badminton Championships It was eventually considered – especially after the first Thomas Cup series in 1949 – the unofficial world championship of the sport until 1977, when the International Badminton Federation launched its official championships. There were two instances when it was halted – from 1915 to 1919 (due to World War I) and from 1940 to 1946 (due to World War II). The tournament has been held at eight venues, and is now played at Arena Birmingham, Birmingham. Below is the list of the most successful players in the All England Open Badminton Championships: In the modern era players are less
Badminton World Federation Badminton World Federation The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the international governing body for the sport of badminton recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation (IBF) with nine member nations (Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales), the BWF has since expanded to 176 member nations around the world. On 24 September 2006, at the Extraordinary General Meeting in Madrid, it was decided to adopt the new name Badminton World Federation (BWF). Its head office was located in Cheltenham, UK since its founding, but on 1 October 2005,