Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

The Azerbaijan Junior Open 2026 international badminton tournament will be held in Baku from August 14 to 16, AzerNEWS reports.

The three-day event will bring together promising young badminton players from several countries, providing them with an opportunity to gain international experience and compete in a strong field. The tournament will also mark an important step in the development of junior badminton in Azerbaijan.

The tournament will take place at the Badminton Hall and will feature athletes from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, the United States, Iran, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Georgia.

The tournament has a total prize fund of $5,000 (approximately AZN 8,500).

Azerbaijan will be represented by 22 junior badminton players, including 13 girls and nine boys, under head coach Morteza Validarvin.

The competition will be held in five categories and will begin at 09:00 on August 14. The tournament will conclude with the final matches on August 16.

The tournament's chief referee will be Greek specialist Christos Evangelidis.

The Azerbaijan Junior Open 2026 is the first international badminton tournament in Azerbaijan to be held in the Junior International Series category.

The main purpose of the tournament is to increase the international competition experience of young badminton players, support their professional development, and strengthen the competitive environment among athletes.

Note that badminton was introduced in Azerbaijan in 1962, when the first Baku Championship was held. The Azerbaijan Badminton Federation was established in the same year, followed by the first Azerbaijan Championship in 1963.

The federation was re-established in 1996, and Azerbaijan joined the International Badminton Federation and the European Badminton Federation in 1997.

Azerbaijani players have since taken part in international competitions and represented the country at major events.

In 2018, Azerbaijan's men's national team competed at the European Men's Team Championship for the first time. In 2021, Edi Reski Dvichayo became the first Azerbaijani badminton player to compete at the Olympic Games.

The Azerbaijan Badminton Federation has also increased its involvement in international badminton organizations. Federation President Taleh Ziyadov was elected to the Badminton World Federation Council in 2025 and to the Board of Directors of Badminton Europe in 2026.

Baku has also hosted a number of international badminton events. The city hosted international competitions in 2022, the Badminton Europe Confederation Conference in 2023, and the European Mixed Team Championships and European AirBadminton Championship in 2025.

The Azerbaijan Junior Open 2026 will add to this calendar of international events