BWF Global Player Pathway Programme

In the interest of helping key Member Association personnel strengthen their programme structures into solid talent pathways, we are pleased to offer the following educational opportunity.

What is the Player Pathway Programme?

The World Academy of Sport (WAoS) / Badminton World Federation (BWF) Player Pathway Programme is a hands-on workshop designed to help executive (decision-making) and high-performance personnel from national badminton federations critically examine their own structures, practices, and assumptions in order to identify next steps to strengthen their systems.

This is an intensive executive education workshop, meaning that there will be principles and concepts presented and discussed, followed by immediate application to practical situations. Active participation is absolutely key, and participants need to have a thorough understanding of their own contexts, as well as an open mind to look at things from different perspectives.

Following the programme, participants will be required to develop action plans that they can then implement back in their countries.  Final document should be a plan describing the national player pathway, aimed at key stakeholders and/or potential funding partners. Support and feedback will be provided from the expert facilitators in the process.

Programme Details

The upcoming Player Pathway Programme will be a centralised course, which will allow for valuable cross-cultural and cross-context sharing and learning.  It will give participants the chance to learn about the systems, challenges, and successes in different countries and on different continents, all while drawing out useful learnings and applications.

The global course will be held at Etisalat Academy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 23 to 25 May 2026.

Member Associations can nominate a maximum of two people:

• an administrative person with decision-making power (such as a Secretary General or Chief Executive Officer) and/or
• a technical person (such as a High-Performance Director, Technical Director, or Head Coach)

The Member Association needs to ensure that the participant(s) nominated will be accountable for turning in the action plan after the course.

Programme Costs and Support Offered

 The BWF will cover the course costs (facilitators, classroom, course materials), as well as meals during course hours (lunches and coffee breaks on course days).  We will also provide a travel grant to be used toward flight tickets for up to two selected candidates.  (Please note that the travel grant will only be reimbursed upon successful submission of the action plan.)

Any other costs (accommodation, dinners, airport transfers, visas) will need to be covered by the Continental Confederation / Member Association / participant.

It should be noted that participants will need to stay on campus at Etisalat, which will allow them to walk to the classroom, as well as to the restaurant and top-notch sports facilities.  Details on the travel grant as well as the procedures to reserve rooms through the BWF package will be made available to the selected participants and their organisations.

Application Process

For Member Associations who would like to nominate candidates (per the above profiles) for the Player Pathway Programme, each applicant should fill out the online application form. This will help determine if the programme is the right fit for your Member Association and for the proposed candidates.

Please note that only applications received through the online form will be reviewed. Applications will not be accepted by email, nor will any follow-up be provided.

Applications will close on 20 February 2026, at which point the BWF will work with our Continental Confederations on candidate selection, taking geographical and gender balance into account.

The BWF will notify the selected candidates / Member Associations and issue invitations as of 13 March 2026.

Contact

Should you have any questions, please contact: [email protected]