A warm welcome to a historic event

I must admit, it has not exactly been a walk in the park to make it to where we stand today. Covid-19 has caused multiple delays and threatened the very holding of the TotalEnergies BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2020 in Aarhus.

Despite the many challenges caused by the global pandemic to the sport of badminton and so many other aspects to society and life in general, it has nonetheless been possible for us to find a way to allow for the world championships for men’s and women’s teams to be played in Denmark, not only for the first time, but also in a health-conscious and responsible manner. Everyone visiting the Ceres Arena during the champion- ships can therefore feel completely at ease.

This is a great triumph. A triumph for Badminton Danmark, but particularly for the sport of badminton as a whole. For not only is the event historic in a Danish context, but now it will also be historic in an international context.

The TotalEnergies BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2020 is the first great international “post-corona” badminton event. That alone, by all accounts, will go down in history as the first step towards a normalisation of things in the world of badminton. The first step towards the reopening of international professional tournament-level badminton.

We at Badminton Danmark are filled with pride and high expectations. We are thankful for the good cooperation we have not only had with the Badminton World Federation, BWF, which has been crucial in making us capable of holding the championships, but also our other partners, Aarhus Event and Sport Event Denmark.

On that same note, I want to express my thanks to all our sponsors, cooperating partners, volunteers, and staff. We would not be standing here today without their patience and lasting support.

And now, we look forward to some completely unique championships, full of exciting matches and unforgettable experiences. It will be particularly interesting to follow the world’s strongest competitors as they once again compete against each other after over half a year.

I hope that the fans, athletes, volunteers, and partners alike will all have a fantastic badminton week in Aarhus.

It is my great pleasure to say: Welcome to the TotalEnergies BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2020!

Bo Jensen Chief Executive, CEO Badminton Danmark