Thailand’s Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul Elected New BWF President

Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul has officially taken the helm as the new president of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). She was elected unopposed at the BWF’s Annual General Meeting in Xiamen, China on April 26th, 2025, marking a historic moment as the second woman to lead the organization.

Khunying Patama expressed her deep gratitude and excitement for this new chapter, emphasizing that badminton is more than just a sport to her. She sees a strong foundation for growth and a unique opportunity to elevate the sport on a global stage, especially with the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympics just around the corner.

She succeeds Poul-Erik Høyer of Denmark, who served as BWF President for 12 years. Høyer was awarded Honorary Life Vice President status by the BWF membership and spoke fondly of his time leading the organization, reflecting on the significant progress made in the past years and expressing his confidence in Khunying Patama’s ability to guide the BWF forward.

Etienne Thobois of France, a long-time BWF Council member and CEO of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, was elected as Deputy President. Thobois shared his enthusiasm for working with Khunying Patama to expand badminton’s global reach and keep the sport exciting and relevant for fans worldwide.

Richard Perot from France was elected BWF Vice President for Para Badminton, vowing to make the sport more inclusive and accessible to players of all backgrounds and abilities.

The AGM also saw the election of 20 new BWF Council members, reflecting the organization’s commitment to diversity and representation.

The BWF leadership press conference, initially scheduled for the same day, has been postponed and will take place the following day.