Bahrain will host the 2026 BWF Para Badminton World Championships from February 7-14. The event, supported by the Bahrain Paralympic Committee and sponsored by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, will be the first of its kind in the region. BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul highlighted Bahrain's experience in hosting international events, with the country having previously organized five international para badminton tournaments.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has approved the return of Russian badminton players Rodion Alimov and Maksim Ogloblin to international competition as Individual Neutral Athletes, effective August 11, 2025. This decision follows a thorough verification process by the Player Eligibility Panel, established after the BWF Council's resolution on August 29, 2023, which allows for the reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes under strict conditions of neutrality. Alimov and Ogloblin must register by July 15, 2025, and will be subject to anti-doping regulations.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has suspended the Maldives from international participation due to external interference in its national badminton federation's operations. The suspension follows governance stagnation, with delayed leadership elections and unimplemented regulatory amendments. The Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) and the sports commissioner formed an ad hoc panel to oversee reforms, a move the BWF viewed as a breach of its rules of procedure. Despite initial agreements for a three-member interim body, the MOC unilaterally expanded the panel, leading to the BWF's suspension, which could be lifted if authorities engage in dialogue with legitimately elected officials.

Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul of Thailand was elected as the new Badminton World Federation (BWF) President at the 86th BWF Annual General Meeting in Xiamen, China, succeeding Poul-Erik Høyer. Khunying Patama, also an IOC Member and President of the Badminton Association of Thailand, is the second female president of the BWF. Etienne Thobois of France was confirmed as Deputy President-elect, and Richard Perot was elected as BWF Vice President Para Badminton. Twenty new BWF Council members were also voted in, including Mohamad Norza Zakaria, Bambang (Rudy) Roedyanto, Rukhshona Narzulloeva, Sawsan Taqawi, Kim Jong Soo, Wajid Ali Chaudhry, Mitsuru Murai and Zhang Jun.