The All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of the world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898. The tournament was successfully organised on April 4, 1899, however only three categories (Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles) were originally staged. Both Men's and Women's Singles were added the following year. The first three tournaments were named "The Open English Championships". It was eventually considered (especially after the first Thomas Cup series in 1949) the unofficial world championship of the sport until 1977 when the International Badminton Federation launched its official championships. Since 1984 the tournament has been exclusively sponsored by Yonex.
The tournaments were halted twice: during World War I from 1915 to 1919 and World War II from 1940 to 1946.
Read more about All England Open Badminton Championships: Historical Venues For The Championships, Successful Players
Famous quotes containing the words england and/or open:
“In nature, all is useful, all is beautiful. It is therefore beautiful, because it is alive, moving, reproductive; it is therefore useful, because it is symmetrical and fair. Beauty will not come at the call of a legislature, nor will it repeat in England or America its history in Greece. It will come, as always, unannounced, and spring up between the feet of brave and earnest men.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“A safe but sometimes chilly way of recalling the past is to force open a crammed drawer. If you are searching for anything in particular you don’t find it, but something falls out at the back that is often more interesting.”
—J.M. (James Matthew)