The Danish story

Until 1925 playing Badminton in Denmark was something you did in the garden. But Skovshoved changed that for good a summer day in 1925. They’d built a new hall where members of the club played tennis – but the court was too little so they made their own rules. The Chairman in Skovshoved at that time knew that a game familiar to tennis was played in England – the game was Badminton!

And on a summer day in 1925 four men, who had played the game all summer in their garden, came to Skovshoved to demonstrate how to play badminton. Two sessions were scheduled – one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The afternoon session didn’t become the expected success with only six spectators, but when the four demonstrators cancelled the evening session, four of the spectators jumped in as substitutes and it became a huge success despite their lack of ability.

25 out of 50 spectators became members that evening and that’s how it all started.

The lack of knowledge about the game was obvious. Using the drop was considered tactless so the shuttle was just hit back and forth all the time. That changed in October 1928 where the Irish Major J.C.M McCullum and his Strollers came to Denmark (Skovshoved) to instruct them how to play Badminton.

At their arrival in Esbjerg on October 24th the customs officers had never seen or heard of a shuttle like that and wouldn’t let them in. The Strollers therefore had to demonstrate the use of the shuttle which ended up with the customs officers playing themselves.

The Strollers’ visit was a great success and it was repeated each year around Denmark. Many cities, clubs and players profited by this demonstration of the game and Badminton became more and more popular in Denmark.

More clubs popped up in first years after Badminton came to Denmark. Københavns Badminton Klub and Gentofte Badminton Klub were founded in 1928 and Helsinge Badminton Klub in Northern Zealand came in 1929. Today there are more than 660 clubs in the Badminton Association of Denmark.

The Badminton Association of Denmark was founded in 1930. The game had spread so fast to every part of the country that it was necessary to have a central union/association to set the guidelines for the game and its development in the future. In 1934 the first district was founded in Copenhagen – and the other parts of the country followed quickly. The central administration and control were now spread to the local districts giving them the power to develop Badminton in their own district.

During the Second World War the sport faced practical problems never seen before. The Germans commandeered many badminton halls, there were the blackout, light restrictions and prohibition of heat in the halls. These were extreme conditions but the Danes played anyway. During the five years of war the Badminton Association of Denmark experienced a huge rise in both individual and club memberships.

And here we are today as one of the largest associations in Danish sport.

Through times Denmark has won many international tournaments – All England, World and European Championships just to mention some titles – and it has benefited the Badminton Association as organizers of big events. It shows as we yearly host VICTOR Denmark Open – from 2027 a BWF World Tour Super 1000, the very highest level of international badminton.

In Badminton Denmark we have a long tradition of staging world-class badminton championships. We successfully hosted the World Championships in 1983, 1991, 1999, 2014 and latest in 2023 which harvested great feedback and recognition for the execution in the aftermath. Further, the individual European Championships 1996, 2008, 2017 and 2025 as well as the European Team Championships in 2019 were all successfully organized by the Badminton Association of Denmark. As the cherry on top, Badminton Denmark were acknowledged with the role as host of Thomas and Uber Cup in 2021, this marked the first time the event was hosted in Europe and again in 2026.

We always strive for more and aim to improve.

Achieving BWF World Tour Super 1000 status is a historic milestone for Denmark Open and Danish badminton. Super 1000 represents the very highest level of international badminton, bringing together the world’s best players, the biggest stars, and the most prestigious tournaments. This upgrade is not just a recognition of Denmark Open’s proud history and strong international reputation – it is a unique opportunity to take the tournament to a new level. With greater global exposure, increased prestige, and an even stronger international platform, Denmark Open will help inspire future generations, attract new fans and partners, and strengthen badminton’s position as a world-class sport.

Our ambition for the next four years is clear: To make Denmark Open the best badminton tournament in the world.