High-Performance

Canadian para badminton athletes delivered a performance defined by determination and competitive spirit at the 2026 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships held in Manama, Bahrain from February 8–14, 2026. The Championships brought together nearly 400 top para badminton players from around the globe in Bahrain’s Isa Sports City, with intense competition across 22 medal events and 6 sport classes.

Across classifications, Canadian athletes battled through challenging draws, earning match wins and valuable experience against highly ranked international competitors. Among Team Canada, veteran standout Mikhail Bilenki secured a hard-fought second-round win in the Men’s WH1 (wheelchair) singles, defeating Australia’s Martyn Ford in a three-game match — continuing a personal streak of earning at least one match victory at each of his last three world championship appearances, now at 64 years old.

Athletes William Roussy (SL3) and Rishav Sharma (SU5) would have close matches in Group Play, but were unfortunately unable to advance to the elimination stage. All 5 SH6 athletes; Justin Kendrick, Wyatt Lightfoot, Emielien Langelier, Anthony Vibol Hay and Colleen Cloetta would all advance to the elimination stages.

In the Round 16, Anthony Vibol Hay would face top talent Jack Shepard (ENG), with a tough loss in MS-SH6. Both pairs of Justin Kendrick & Wyatt Lightfoot, along with Anthony Vibol Hay & Emilien Langelier would advance to the Quarter-Finals in MD-SH6, along with Justin Kendrick & Colleen Cloetta in XD-SH6. With 3 paris fighting for a Semi-Final, and a World Championship medal on the line, unfortunately none were able to advance to the medal rounds.

“While we didn’t come away with medals this time, I’m incredibly proud of how our athletes competed at the 2026 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships" said Mike Luck, High Performance Director. "We saw composure under pressure, meaningful match wins, and clear progress against the world’s best. This group continues to close the gap internationally, and the experience gained here will be critical as we build toward future podium performances.”

Badminton Canada acknowledges the commitment of all para national team members and their coaches, celebrating personal milestones, competitive match wins, and the collective progress achieved on the world stage this season. Special thank you to Para World Championships Coach, Elliott Beals for the leadership throughout the Championships.

Canada now turns its focus toward upcoming international para badminton events in 2026, and continued athlete development as part of the national high-performance pathway.

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For more information or media inquiries please contact:

Bryan R. Merrett

Executive Director

613-518-1501, X2083

bmerrett@badminton.ca

 

About Badminton Canada

With shuttles reaching speeds as high as 565 kph, badminton attracts more than 220 million people worldwide to play the sport weekly, making badminton the second most participated-in sport in the world. Badminton Canada works to grow the game across the country through events, coaching and officials’ development, and developing programs such as Shuttletime. In Canada, over 2 million people picked up a badminton racquet and played our sport. Some play at the cottage, some in the backyard, at school, the local community centre or as part of an organized Badminton Canada competition. Badminton is easily accessible – for any Canadian – at any age – for life!