Osaka International (badminton)
The Osaka International, initially known as the Osaka Satellite, was an international badminton tournament held annually in Osaka, Japan, from 2007 to 2023. Sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) as an International Challenge level event, it was hosted by the Nippon Badminton Association (NBA) and overseen by the Osaka Prefectural Badminton Association. The event was discontinued after the 2023 edition.[1]
Controversies
[edit]2016 Cancellation
[edit]The 2016 edition of the Osaka International tournament was cancelled because the Nippon Badminton Association (NBA) did not meet the application deadline set by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).[2] The BWF had notified the NBA in October 2014 of a deadline change from August to April, but this notification was reportedly overlooked by NBA staff. The NBA submitted its application in August 2015, four months past the revised deadline, leading to its rejection.[3] Kinji Zeniya, then NBA's executive director, issued a public apology following the cancellation and stated the association intended to reapply for the following year.[4]
Discontinuation
[edit]On 27 October 2023, the NBA announced that the Osaka International would be discontinued and would not be held in 2024.[5] The decision followed discussions with tournament stakeholders and was communicated to Badminton Asia and the BWF. According to the NBA, the discontinuation resulted from a re-evaluation of its organizational structure and funding allocation. The NBA noted that the Osaka International had received higher funding compared to other tournaments. When the NBA proposed adjusting future funding to align with other events, the Osaka Prefectural Badminton Association indicated difficulty in continuing under those terms and relinquished its hosting role. The tournament was considered significant for player development over its tenure. [6]
Previous winners
[edit]
- ^ The 2016 tournament was cancelled due to the Nippon Badminton Association failing to meet the BWF application deadline.[2]
- ^ The 2020 tournament (1–5 April) was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
- ^ The 2021 tournament (31 March – 4 April) was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
- ^ The 2022 tournament (6–10 April) was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
- ^ The tournament was discontinued from 2024 onwards, as announced by the Nippon Badminton Association on 27 October 2023, citing funding reallocation.
Performances by nation
[edit]- As of the finals of the 2023 edition
| Pos | Nation | MS | WS | MD | WD | XD | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Japan
|
10 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 44 |
| 2 |  South Korea
|
2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | |
| 3 |  China
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
 Indonesia
|
3 | 3 | |||||
| 5 |  Chinese Taipei
|
1 | 1 | ||||
 Hong Kong
|
1 | 1 | |||||
 Macau
|
1 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 65 | |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "申請ミスでバドミントン国際大会開けず" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ a b "International Badminton Tournament Cancelled Due to Application Error" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "Badminton Association misses deadline, international tournament cannot be held due to application error" (in Japanese). Daily Sports. 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "International tournament unable to be held due to application error Nippon Badminton Association" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ a b "[Tournament Information] Osaka International Challenge, a gateway for young athletes, comes to an end" (in Japanese). Badminton Spirit. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "Press release regarding the tournament hosted by our association" (PDF) (in Japanese). Nippon Badminton Association. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ 2007 winners
- ^ 2008 winners
- ^ 2009 winners
- ^ 2010 winners
- ^ 2011 winners
- ^ 2012 winners
- ^ 2013 winners
- ^ 2014 winners
- ^ 2015 winners
- ^ "[IC] Yu Igarashi and Sayaka Takahashi win singles! <Osaka International>" (in Japanese). Badminton Spirit. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ 2018 winners
- ^ 2019 winners
- ^ 2020
- ^ 2021
- ^ 2022
- ^ 2023 winners