The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has a new president in Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, 12 years after Dane Poul-Erik Hoyer was elected to the post. Leeswadtrakul, who hails from Thailand, has been elected as the 20th president of the BWF and only the second woman to rise to the top post since China’s Lu Shengrong (1993–2001).

A businesswoman with a degree in economics from the University of Manchester, Leeswadtrakul is also the president of the Badminton Association of Thailand. Under her guidance, Thai badminton reached greater heights, with Kunlavut Vitidsarn emerging as a force to reckon with in the men's singles discipline.

World No. 2 Vitidsarn, the reigning world champion, has recently became the first Thai to claim the men's singles title at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China. Ratchanok Intanon, the crafty women's singles player, was the first Thai shuttler to win the World Championships gold in 2013. She also became the first Thai shuttler to become the World No. 1. The country now also has three women's singles players in the top 10.

Now, with added responsibility, Leeswadtrakul, being an Asian where the game's heart lies, aims to take the spot to a new level.

"For me, badminton has always been more than a sport and tonight marks a deeply meaningful milestone. While badminton is in a strong position today, we must continue to work towards making badminton a truly global sport," Leeswadtrakul told Bangkok Post after being elected as the new president of the BWF.

Although badminton has been a regular feature of the Olympic programme since the 1992 Barcelona Games, the sport is yet to make significant inroads into the American market. BWF has two tournaments in North America - the US Open and the Canada Open - both Super 300 tournaments (Level 5). This year, BWF even downgraded the Canada Open from Super 500 to Super 300, elevating the German Open instead as a new Super 500 event for 2025 and 2026 seasons.

With the next Olympics scheduled in Los Angeles in 2028, Leeswadtrakul said, "We must be ready to grab this moment."

"The next Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles are just three years away and LA28 presents a powerful opportunity to elevate our sport on the world stage," she added.

Leeswadtrakul is also a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2018 and chair of the Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission. She also sits on various commissions, including Olympic Solidarity and Revenues and Commercial Partnerships.

Hoyer, who was elected as an honorary life vice president by the BWF membership at the meeting, passed the baton to Leeswadtrakul after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020.

"It is a great honour to pass on the baton of BWF President to my dear friend and colleague Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul... I am sure badminton and the BWF will continue to grow and blossom under your leadership and guidance... Badminton has been such a big part of my life for so many years now, both on and off the court... And I am so proud of the transformations we have collectively made together over the last 12 years to take the sport to where it is today," Hoyer said.

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