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Badminton Europe's Hoyer to Run for Presidency of BWF |
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Badminton - 25 Jan 2013 - Poul-Erik Hoyer, the current president of Badminton Europe, has announced that he will stand for the presidency of Badminton World Federation, the sport’s global governing body, in elections in May of this year.
The Dane, the men’s singles champion at the 1996 Olympics, had announced last October that he intended to seek re-election as Badminton Europe leader this year.
However, that was before Korea’s Kang Young Joong, the present head of the BWF, said in December that he would not be seeking another term in office, having served eight years in the post.
Hoyer, who has been a supporter of Kang, said on Thursday: “I want to lead the BWF in the same spirit as today and ensure an open dialogue with key stakeholders. I represent unity in the badminton world as I believe that we need strong cooperation to compete against other sports.
“Our prime target must be to ensure badminton’s status as an Olympic sport and with my profile I believe I can contribute to badminton’s Olympic aspirations.”
Hoyer has been president of Badminton Europe since 2010, when he succeeded his countryman Tom Bacher, and is also a senior figure at the National Olympic Committee of Denmark.
He said: “I would not seek election if I was not convinced of my ability to lead the BWF and if I had not received so strong encouragement to stand. My background as continental president and my excellent relationship with my colleagues and our member associations gives me confidence in a very successful campaign.”
Hoyer is set to face competition for the BWF presidency from Indonesia’s Justian Suhandinata, who is also prioritising badminton’s continued involvement in the Olympics.
The sport’s future in the games has been questioned after Indonesian players were among several involved in a doubles match-throwing scandal at London 2012.
Suhandinata claims to have received strong support from major badminton countries, including China, India and Japan, and has pledged to increase prize money and organise more tournaments while promoting the sport better in regions such as Africa and North America.
The elections will take place in Kuala Lumpur on May 18.
Sportcal
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