KUALA LUMPUR: Two of badminton’s most respected figures, India’s Pusarla V. Sindhu and Hong Kong China’s Chan Ho Yuen Daniel, have been elected Chairs of the BWF Athletes’ Commission and BWF Para Badminton Athletes’ Commission respectively for the 2026–2029 term. Their election also grants them seats on the BWF Council, ensuring athletes have a direct voice in the sport’s global governance.
According to information released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Sindhu’s appointment reflects her long-standing involvement with athlete representation. A member of the Athletes’ Commission since 2017 and a BWF Integrity Ambassador since 2020, the two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 World Champion now steps into a key leadership role.
“I step into this role with a deep sense of responsibility and purpose,” Sindhu said, as quoted by the BWF. “My focus is to ensure that athletes’ voices are heard clearly, consistently, and with respect at every level of decision making.”
She also acknowledged former Chair Greysia Polii for her contributions in the previous term.
Sindhu will be supported by Deputy Chair Debora Jille (Netherlands), with An Se Young (Korea), Doha Hany (Egypt) and Jia Yi Fan (China) completing the Athletes’ Commission lineup.
In Para badminton, the BWF confirmed that Chan Ho Yuen Daniel, a now-retired two-time Paralympian WH2 player, takes over as full-time Chair after serving in an interim capacity earlier this year.
“I am deeply honoured to be elected as Chair of the BWF Para Athletes’ Commission,” Chan said. “As both an athlete and a member of the BWF Council, I will work to promote fairness, accessibility, and long-term development for our sport.”
Chan will be assisted by Deputy Chair Cathrine Rosengren (Denmark), with Amy Burnett (USA), Guillaume Gailly (France), Abu Hubaida (India) and Tarek Abbas Gharib Zahry (Egypt) named as Commission members.
In related news highlighted by the BWF, Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha—the first female badminton player to represent Iran at the Olympics—has been appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Her nomination for full IOC membership will be decided at the 145th IOC Session in Milan next February, further underlining the growing emphasis on athlete representation in global sport.
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