KUALA LUMPUR – Johor is back on the international badminton map, with some 300 players expected to compete in the Malaysia Super 100 tournament from October 14 to 19 at the Educity Sports Complex, Iskandar Puteri.
The event marks the state’s return to hosting elite-level badminton and aligns with its broader ambition to position itself as a national sporting hub.
Speaking to Scoop, Johor Badminton Association (JBA) president Datuk Chong Juong Chain said the tournament is a major step in re-establishing the state’s presence on the global stage.
“The objective of the Super 100 is to promote badminton in Johor. It’s been over five to 10 years since the state last hosted an international tournament,” he said when contacted.
Initially, JBA had only planned to organise lower-tier events such as the International Series (IS) and International Challenge (IC).
However, following a successful IS outing in September 2023, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) offered Johor the chance to host a Super 100 tournament.
“We accepted it because we were confident after the IS. This is part of our development push in Johor, especially with Visit Johor 2026 around the corner,” Chong explained.
“Our state leaders encouraged us to organise more sports-related events, and BAM supported the idea.”
The Super 100 is expected to draw players from across the globe.
“Last year, during the IS, we had athletes from 36 countries. So the response was very positive. This time, we’re expecting confirmations from at least 25 countries – mostly from Asia and Europe,” he said.
Introduced in 2023, the Malaysia Super 100 is part of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour calendar and carries a prize purse of US$100,000.
The inaugural edition, held in Kuala Lumpur by the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association (KLBA), saw national players Leong Jun Hao and the mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon–Cheah Yee See emerge champions.
In 2024, BAM took over the event and moved it to Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara. Malaysia again clinched two titles – through men’s doubles duo Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong and women’s pair Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee.
For Johor, this will be its first BWF-sanctioned tournament since the Malaysian Masters 2013 in Pasir Gudang.
It also marks the first BWF World Tour event held outside the Klang Valley since 2017, when Sarawak hosted the Malaysia Open in Kuching and the Masters in Sibu.
BWF officials have already inspected the Educity Indoor Arena, which has been approved as a suitable venue.
“We’ve got the green light from BWF. Now we’re working closely with BAM to finalise the remaining details,” Chong added. – July 2, 2025