LONDON OLYMPICS – Wembley for sure

The governing body for badminton, the BWF, made it official today that they had finally accepted the offer to switch the venue for the upcoming London Olympics from a temporary stadium proposed in the original bid to the already built Wembley Stadium. “The athletes’ interest has been the central factor in our discussions with LOCOG and we are pleased that the plans put in place will live up to our expectations.  We thank LOCOG for their efforts and commitment throughout the whole process and discussions. Wembley Arena has a long history of hosting badminton events and we look forward to seeing great badminton being played there again – both during the London 2012 Olympic Games and at the 2011 London BWF World Championships,” said BWF president Kang Young Joong.

The arena, which has served in the past for major badminton events, will see the final rehearsal before the Olympics at the 2011 World Championships, which were awarded to England – and scheduled to be staged in Wembley.