Badminton England has announced a new three-year partnership with Adidas for the first-ever London Grand Prix, in a move that marks one of the sportswear giant’s first major badminton partnerships.
Part of the Badminton World Federation’s Grand Prix Gold event series, the new London competition will take place at the Copper Box on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from October 1-6.
The move from Adidas coincides with the launch of its dedicated badminton product range, and the firm hopes the partnership will help raise awareness of this and bring a fresh approach to the sport as a whole.
As part of the new deal, Adidas has also been confirmed as the first partner of the new SmashUp! Programme that is due to be launched in secondary schools and communities across the UK this summer. Badminton England’s programme seeks to increase participation in the sport.
Adrian Christy, Badminton England chief executive, said: “We are extremely proud that such a strong global brand as Adidas has chosen Badminton England as one of its first strategic badminton partnerships. Since the World Championships in London in 2011 and the Olympic Games a year later, we have been determined to create a lasting legacy in the capital for the fans who came out in their thousands to be part of such historic events. These are exciting times for English badminton but we know we cannot achieve our ambitions without great partnerships and I am delighted to have secured this partnership with Adidas.”