The Badminton World Federation has today (Monday) named HSBC as the title sponsor of its new and remodelled World Tour, with the banking group committing to the sport through a multi-faceted deal.
As the BWF’s principal global partner, HSBC will hold naming rights to the Tour and the Tour Finals for the next four years.
The company also becomes a premier sponsor of the BWF’s portfolio of major events, which includes the World Championships, Sudirman Cup and Thomas & Uber Cup Finals.
In addition, HSBC has been named as a global development partner of the BWF in a move designed to further raise the international profile of the sport.
The BWF also announced today that Guangzhou in China will host the World Tour Finals from 2018 to 2021.
Helen Wong, chief executive of HSBC in Greater China, said: “HSBC is excited to help grow this popular sport across Asia and beyond, through this global partnership with the BWF. Supporting the new HSBC BWF World Tour, we hope to develop deeper relationships with athletes, fans, customers and employees on every stop, including here in Guangzhou.
“The Pearl River Delta is an important market for HSBC and it’s great to see Guangzhou being celebrated as the new home for the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals. Through this partnership, we look forward to supporting badminton at all levels.”
BWF president Poul-Erik Høyer added: “This is a significant milestone in our federation’s history. We are stepping boldly into the future with a partnership that will define badminton for the ages.
“HSBC enjoys a cachet that is the envy of the banking world. It has distinguished itself across the panorama of sport as a brand of excellence – a brand with which BWF is proud to partner. We are partnering with HSBC because we are committed to being the world’s sport.”
The BWF also presented the Chinese Badminton Association and the city of Guangzhou – represented by the Guangzhou Sports Bureau – as key partners of the World Tour Finals – the signature, year-end finale for which only the leading players qualify.
BWF secretary general Thomas Lund said the potential to increase badminton’s global presence, broadcast coverage and the popularity of elite players – under one umbrella brand – was a major catalyst in the decision to merge and rebrand BWF tournaments.
Lund added: “Our objective was to evolve all our events into a unified, distinctive brand that will strengthen brand awareness and value. This will make it possible to improve the quality of the events while making the tour more financially beneficial for hosts and players alike.”