New Delhi, 25 December (H.S.): Two-time Olympic medalist Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu has been elected Chairperson of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes Commission for the 2026–29 term, concurrently serving as a member of the BWF Council to fortify athletes' influence in global badminton policies and governance on this Christmas Day .

Sindhu's Appointment and Background

Sindhu, a member of the BWF Athletes Commission since 2017 and BWF Integrity Ambassador since 2020, brings her stature as the 2019 World Champion to this pivotal role, ensuring players' perspectives resonate at every administrative level . She expressed profound responsibility in the position, vowing to bridge athletes and administrators while amplifying voices with clarity, consistency, and respect; she thanked outgoing Chair Gracia Poli for exemplary service and hailed the trust from fellow players.

Netherlands' Deborah Giles will serve as her Deputy, alongside South Korea's An Seo Yeong, Egypt's Doha Hani, and China's Jia Yi Fan as other athlete representatives .

Para Badminton Leadership

Hong Kong China's Chan Ho Yun Daniel, a two-time Paralympian in WH2 category who acted as interim Chair earlier this year, assumes the full-time Chairperson role for the BWF Para Athletes Commission, viewing it as recognition of global para badminton progress.

Denmark's Catherine Rosengreen is his Deputy, with members including USA's Amy Burnett, France's Guillaume Galy, India's Abu Hubaida, and Egypt's Tarek Abbas Ghareeb Zahri.

Meanwhile, Iran's Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha, the first Iranian woman to represent her country in badminton at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has been appointed among five new members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar