The BWF is celebrating World Badminton Day, which shines a light on the formation of the IBF in 1934 ©BWF

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has announced that thousands of people have participated in the sport to celebrate World Badminton Day.

A total of 199 official events were scheduled to be held across 60 countries today to commemorate the inaugural World Badminton Day, which shines a light on the formation of the International Badminton Federation (IBF) on July 5 1934.

The IBF merged with the World Badminton Federation in 1981 and its name was formally changed to the BWF in 2006 at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

Each event was designed to celebrate and promote badminton with each event ranging in size, location and focus.

"World Badminton Day provides a unique opportunity for us to simultaneously celebrate and promote the sport we love by encouraging more people to pick up a racket," said Poul-Erik Høyer, President of the BWF.

A range events were held to celebrate World Badminton Day ©BWF
A range events were held to celebrate World Badminton Day ©BWF

"It’s been fantastic to see so many people getting involved and trying badminton.

"We are very proud that badminton is an inclusive sport for all, and I’d like to thank all our members, partners, players, coaches, and volunteers for being part of this celebration.

"We hope that through flagship projects like Shuttle Time and AirBadminton that participation numbers will continue to soar."