2026 World Badminton Day “NIHAO! CHINA” UAE Youth Clubs Friendly Tournament Held in Dubai
To celebrate the World Badminton Day 2026, the “NIHAO! CHINA” UAE Youth Clubs Friendly Tournament was successfully held in Dubai, UAE, on July 5. H.E. Noura Al Jasmi, President of the UAE Badminton Federation, and Jaffer Ebrahim, Badminton World Federation (BWF) Dubai Badminton Development Manager, attended the event. The main competition featured two categories: men’s singles and women’s singles. The UAE Badminton Federation brought together 41 Emirati young athletes from seven emirates, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, and appointed 12 referees and tournament supervisors to participate in the event’s organization. The tournament was held under the title of “NIHAO! CHINA” and supported by the China Cultural Center in the UAE, which encouraged the winning athletes to visit China. After four hours of fierce competition, UAE athletes Mayed Tariq and Hayat Khalifah claimed the men’s singles and women’s singles titles respectively and received the “NIHAO! CHINA Journey” Grand Prize supported by the China Cultural Center in the UAE. The 2026 UAE Youth Badminton Special Olympics Joint Friendship Tournament was also held concurrently, with 20 UAE Special Olympics youth badminton athletes participating and demonstrating their determination, resilience and perseverance. (Photo of award presenters and women’s singles winners) (Photo of award presenters and men’s singles winners) (Photo of award presenters and some participating athletes) The tournament combined the “NIHAO! CHINA” tourism promotion campaign with the youth badminton development initiative actively promoted by the UAE government. Through the badminton friendship tournament platform, the event encouraged young Emiratis to strive for championship titles while pursuing the opportunity to visit China and experience Chinese culture, helping more UAE youth better understand and appreciate China. The tournament was jointly organized by the UAE Badminton Federation and WeMet Sport Club, with support from the Badminton International Club Alliance (BICA), and received special support from the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai and the China Cultural Center in the UAE. (Photo of exciting moments during the competition)