Male' Maldives: Badminton World Federation (BWF) has officially lifted the suspension of the Badminton Association of the Maldives (BAM), effective 3 December 2025, following significant governance reforms and the successful election of a new leadership for the organisation.
The suspension was originally imposed in May 2025 after Maldivian sports authorities replaced BAM’s elected leadership with an interim committee, an action that BWF viewed as compromising the association’s autonomy. As a result, BAM lost all membership rights, including the ability to register players for BWF-sanctioned tournaments.
To resolve the issue, BWF worked closely with the Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC), domestic sports authorities, and the former BAM leadership. A Working Group was formed with two key mandates, to amend the BAM constitution and organise transparent elections. Months of collaboration led to an updated constitution, which received strong support from the local badminton community.
Recognising the progress, BWF later granted an exception to the suspension, allowing Maldivian players to continue participating in international tournaments while the governance issues were being resolved.
On 1 November 2025, the amended BAM constitution was unanimously approved at the association’s General Meeting. This was followed by elections on 22 November 2025, held under the observation of BWF representatives and local stakeholders, resulting in the appointment of a new leadership team.
With these reforms completed, the BWF Council-delegated group overseeing the matter confirmed that BAM had met all requirements for reinstatement and lifted the suspension.
BWF expressed appreciation to the Maldivian sports authorities, particularly the Maldives Olympic Committee and the Commissioner of Sports, for their cooperation throughout the process. The federation also extended gratitude to the Working Group members whose efforts enabled BAM to return as a fully recognised BWF member.
After removing BAM’s national representation rights on April 30, the Commissioner of Sports has now reinstated the association’s status, restoring its authority as the national governing body as of yesterday.
The reinstatement marks a new chapter for badminton in the Maldives, restoring the nation’s full participation and representation in the global badminton community.
