The BWF is working hard to reform, and the 2025 World Junior Championships will pilot a mixed relay race and a new 15-point format in three games

BWF will work with the Badminton Federation of India (BWF) to modernise badminton at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Guwahati, India, in October this year.

The BWF is working hard to reform and will try out a mixed relay and a new format of 15 points in three games at the World Junior Championships in October this year

An updated hybrid relay format is here. First of all, in terms of mixed team competition, the tournament will adopt an updated version of the "relay race system", which will be 2 wins in 3 games, 5 individual events (men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles), and a maximum of 45 points per game.

The initial version of the mixed relay was piloted at the Badminton World Junior Championships in Nanchang, China, last year, and received positive feedback from players and officials. Based on the experience gained last year, the BWF has adapted and improved it, and this year it will be officially implemented in Guwahati, India.

The individual competition adopts a 15-point system of 3 rounds. As for the individual competition, the BWF will also be piloting a new 15-point system for three games as part of its plan to push for reform. The format has previously been tested in several junior and lower-level events, including the National Under-18 Badminton Championships in Perak, Malaysia in April.

Approved by the BWF Council. Both of these reforms, the new mixed team format and the three-inning, 15-point system, were formally approved at the recent annual meeting of the BWF Council in Xiamen, China. BWF Secretary-General Lund expressed his appreciation for the cooperation and support of the BWF Federation of India and Guwahati organisers: "We are delighted to present such a forward-looking tournament that showcases the vibrancy of badminton through innovation, and reflects the progressive and modern philosophy of the BWF, Guwahati and the BWF. "This attempt is part of a broader long-term reform of the BWF, with the goal of improving the spectacle and global appeal of badminton while safeguarding the well-being of athletes." "We emphasise that this reform process must be inclusive, data-driven, and widely consulted, and that any future decisions should be made in the interests of badminton as a whole."

In order to fully understand the new format, an online workshop will be held for team leaders and coaches before the start of the tournament to explain the rules and implementation of the competition. BWF will also collect relevant data and conduct stakeholder surveys during the tournament to provide a basis for whether the reform will be formally implemented in the future. Lund concluded: "We look forward to a successful World Junior Championships and a showcase of the potential of the rising stars of badminton. ”