Scotland’s success at the Sudirman Cup in May has been the springboard for an amazing rise up the world team badminton rankings.
This time last year Scotland were ranked No. 36 in the world and before the Sudirman Cup they had climbed to No. 27. But now Scotland have burst into the top 20 at No. 19 in the world team rankings thanks to topping Group 2 to finish the highest placed nation outside the elite 12 nations in Group One.
BADMINTONscotland Performance Manager Gareth McKenna said: “This is a significant increase. Not only have we gone up 17 places on the world stage in the last year but we have also significantly closed the gap on other Commonwealth nations. We are just two places behind England and one behind Canada.”
Chief Executive Anne Smillie said: “This is brilliant news at what is proving to be an exciting time for BADMINTONscotland. We have a great mix of youth and experience in our elite squad and we have our first Scottish Open under Grand Prix status to look forward to in November.
“This year’s Scottish Open will attract players from many of the Commonwealth countries as they seek the chance to sample the Emirates Arena playing conditions before it becomes the Commonwealth Games badminton venue next summer.
“Today’s rise in the team rankings shows that the investment in Scottish badminton is starting to pay big dividends and it’s all down to the effort put in by the players and coaching staff as well as the world-class facilities at their disposal.”
Denmark secured the best spot (3.) from all European teams followed by Germany (8.) and Russia (12.).
The BWF World Team Rankings:
(including the 10 best European teams)
1. China
2. Korea
3. Denmark
4. Japan
5. Thailand
8. Germany
12. Russia
15. France
16. Netherlands
17. England
19. Scotland
20. Ukraine
21. Sweden
24. Poland
To view all the rankings click HERE.
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