Why now's the time to set up The Badminton Report

Back then it was the only way of keeping tabs on the sport, even though I had never seen them live. Then came the likes of Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson. They became a niche, mixed doubles fascination for many, a pub quiz question for others.

It wasn’t until covering my first international tournament, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi for The Telegraph, where I saw how big the sport was on a global scale.

On the final day of the Games, Nathan Robertson, England’s flag bearer, went down in finals twice and cut a downbeat figure, despite racking up his 10th medal.

Two finals in a matter of hours in one the most gruelling of sports. In amidst watching ‘one of a kind’ Lee Chong Wei oust Rajiv Ouseph in the men’s singles final.

That was the start, in an era where I saw the Lee Chong Wei v Lin Dan take shape. The All England encounters were legendary. Two sportsmen playing sublime badminton.

China dominated but players still cut through, such as the emergence of Carolina Marin and Victor Axelsen and Danish pairings such as Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen.

Alongside the singles, the doubles events make for enthralling companions when covering events. Through-the-legs returns, rampaging smashes and stop-drop winners abound. What's not to love?

There were six or so years covering for The Telegraph and Reuters at the All England Champs. But for the last decade and more, coverage of the sport in Britain has dwindled on a consistent basis.

There remain challenges in today’s crowded sporting marketplace and the battle for attention when it comes to media. It has to be a sensational story to get badminton in the back pages, any generic story is usually given a ‘not enough appetite for our readers’ rebuff.

But it is clear from the sport’s global reach that there is more than enough appetite, which is why The Badminton Report has launched.

The key to success is unlocking the multiple stories badminton has (given there are healthy participation numbers in the UK) and breathing life back into the sport.

What we will cover

This will be a publication with a leading UK focus on badminton.

We won't be covering the rally-by-rally matches or daily grind of match reports unless we are reporting live.

Instead we will focus on features, analysis, opinion and interviews, from grassroots to the vibrant masters' scene in the UK and abroad.

We will also have a heavy focus on the UK club and community, human interest stories across the globe (at a time of growing shuttlecock prices), as well as asking the tough questions the game needs to answer.

There are huge changes coming in 2027: 15x3 scoring and 11-day top-tier tournaments. There is no better time to launch.

We aim to change the badminton media landscape, so do join us and help keep independent journalism alive with a subscription!

If you have a story or feature idea, please email editor@thebadmintonreport.news