India Open shifted to February in 2027 as BWF unveils revamped World Tour calendar

Kuala Lumpur, June 30 (IANS) The India Open Super 750 will be held in February 2027 and at the end of January 2028, after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday unveiled its 35-tournament World Tour calendar for the next two seasons.

India’s top badminton tournament was originally set for January 13 to 18 in the year 2026, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. It will now be held from February 2 to 7, 2027, and January 25 to 30, 2028.

The BWF also announced that the Syed Modi India International has been downgraded to a Super 100 tournament. This event in Lucknow will take place from July 27 to August 1, 2027, and from July 25 to 30, 2028.

The governing body revealed a global circuit of 35 tournaments for both 2027 and 2028. This schedule includes events ranging from Super 1000 to Super 100, along with the season-ending World Tour Finals.

The top level of the calendar will feature five Super 1000 tournaments across Asia and Europe. These competitions will last 11 days over two weekends, including a 48-player singles draw with a group stage followed by knockout rounds, along with a 32-pair doubles knockout draw. The BWF stated that all 1,095 matches in the Super 1000 tournaments will be broadcast worldwide.

BWF president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul mentioned that the updated calendar prioritises players’ well-being. She said, “Our players are at the heart of everything we do. As global ambassadors and icons of our sport, they deserve an environment that allows them to perform at their best, recover properly, and connect meaningfully with fans around the world.”

She added, “The improvements in this calendar, like the longer competition windows, aim to enhance playing conditions for our top athletes. They provide better scheduling and more recovery time between matches. This supports players in their pursuit of excellence and helps them maintain longer, more successful careers. At the same time, we now have a high-quality, globally balanced circuit of unprecedented scale, with more televised matches reaching more markets. This creates greater opportunities for players and boosts badminton’s global presence and impact.”

As part of its long-term modernisation plan, the BWF also confirmed that all tournaments from January 4, 2027, will follow the new 3×15 scoring system, replacing the current format.

The qualification window for the LA28 Olympic Games will be from May 3, 2027, to April 30, 2028. The BWF added that the dates and host cities for the 2027 Sudirman Cup Finals, 2027 World Championships, and 2028 Thomas & Uber Cup Finals will be announced later.

–IANS

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