Ali Thameem
The Badminton World Federation has announced that it has lifted the suspension of Badminton Association of the Maldives, effective from Wednesday, 3rd December 2025.
BAM was suspended just over six months ago, on 20th May. At the time, the badminton association had failed to hold its elections, which were due over fifteen months prior.
the federation said at the time that it was working with sport authorities, the Maldives Olympic Committee, and government to find a way to reinstate BAM.
Since then, a working group has been operating with representatives from the MOC and former BAM officials to draft amendments to the constitution and organise elections.
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In late September, just over two months ago, the working group had already made enough progress for the BWF to allow an exception to the suspension, which meant Maldivian players could continue playing at BWF-sanctioned tournaments during the interim period.
That exception helped ensure shuttlers were able to compete internationally while matters were being resolved at home.
The amended BAM constitution was then taken to a General Meeting in November, where it received unanimous approval from members. Elections followed soon after, just under two weeks later, with observers from the BWF and domestic stakeholders present, and a new leadership was chosen to take charge of the association. This was what the BWF had been asking for, and it met the conditions for the federation’s oversight group to bring the suspension to an end on 3 December.
“The BWF is grateful to Maldivian sport authorities – particularly the Maldives Olympic Committee and the Commissioner of Sports – for their support in solving the dispute affecting BAM”, stated the World Badminton Federation in a press release this Friday. “The BWF also extends its gratitude to the members of the Working Group who made this possible”.
For Maldivian badminton, the decision means the association can now engage fully with the sport’s global governing body again.
For players and coaches, very little will change in the short term, as international had already been restored through the exception earlier. But the decision nevertheless removes uncertainty around the long-term status of the association.
The coming months will now be determined by how the new leadership implements the amended constitution, and whether the administrative momentum seen during the working group phase can continue.
