How to qualify in Para badminton
How para badminton players qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics
Para badminton at LA28 has 16 medal events and 120 places (60 men, 60 women).
| Men | Women | Mixed |
|---|---|---|
| Singles WH1, WH2, SL3, SL4, SU5, SH6 | Singles WH1, WH2, SL3, SL4, SU5, SH6 | Doubles SL3-SU5 |
| Doubles WH1-WH2 | Doubles WH1-WH2 | Doubles SH6 |
Almost every place goes by one list: the Race to Los Angeles Paralympic Ranking, published on 4 April 2028. Points count from 5 April 2027 to 2 April 2028. Places belong to the player or pair, not the country.
Doubles are decided first, then singles. A country can usually qualify only one player per singles event and one pair per doubles event through the ranking. The rest of the places are invitations.
To be eligible a player must have played the event at three or more qualifying tournaments in that period, and be internationally classified.
Places by route
| Route | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Doubles WH1-WH2: top six pairs | 12 | 12 |
| Mixed doubles SL3-SU5 and SH6: top six pairs each | 12 | 12 |
| Singles: next best on the ranking | 25 | 25 |
| Bipartite Commission Invitations | 11 | 11 |
| Total | 60 | 60 |
Doubles first
The six highest-ranked pairs in men's doubles WH1-WH2, women's doubles WH1-WH2, mixed doubles SL3-SU5 and mixed doubles SH6 qualify, one pair per country in each. The place belongs to that pair: if one player cannot take it, the partner loses it too, and the BWF can pass both places to another pair.
Pairs must fit the class rules:
| Event | Rule | Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's and women's doubles | At most 3 points | WH1 + WH2 | WH1 + WH1; WH2 + WH2 |
| Mixed doubles SL3-SU5 | At most 8 points | SL3 + SL3, SL3 + SL4, SL3 + SU5, SL4 + SL4, SL4 + SU5, SU5 + SU5 | - |
| Mixed doubles SH6 | - | SH6 + SH6 | Any other |
The document gives the point limits but not the points for each class.
Doubles players must also play singles. Both players of a wheelchair doubles pair, and every SL3, SL4, SU5 and SH6 player who qualifies in mixed doubles, are entered in their singles event automatically and must play it.
Then singles
After the doubles, the highest-ranked players not yet qualified fill these places, one per country in each event:
| Class | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| WH1 | 3 | 3 |
| WH2 | 3 | 3 |
| SL3 | 5 | 5 |
| SL4 | 5 | 5 |
| SU5 | 5 | 5 |
| SH6 | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 25 | 25 |
A singles event can still have up to three players from one country, because doubles qualifiers and invited players are added.
Invitations
| Class | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| WH1 and WH2 | 3 | 3 |
| SL3, SL4 and SU5 | 7 | 7 |
| SH6 | 1 | 1 |
Inside these:
- The host: one man and one woman are kept for the United States, but only if it wins no other place in that gender.
- Each continent: one man and one woman are kept for each continent that wins no other place in that gender. A continent whose only places are one mixed doubles pair can get one more man and one more woman in singles.
Unaccepted host or continental places go to other applicants. Applications close on 2 May 2028.
The BWF can also invite extra doubles pairs made from players who already qualified in singles: up to two wheelchair pairs per country, and extra mixed pairs in SL3-SU5 and SH6.
Minimum field sizes
Singles WH1 and SH6 need at least 9 and 10 players; the other singles events 6; each doubles and mixed event 6 pairs. Fields can be bigger.
Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 5 April 2027 | Ranking period opens |
| 2 April 2028 | Ranking period closes |
| 4 April 2028 | Race to Los Angeles ranking published; invitation applications open |
| 5 April 2028 | BWF tells NPCs their doubles places |
| 12 April 2028 | NPCs confirm doubles places, with each player's class |
| 13 and 20 April 2028 | Unused doubles places passed on and confirmed |
| 24 April 2028 | BWF tells NPCs their singles places |
| 2 May 2028 | NPCs confirm singles places (timeline); invitation applications close |
| 3 May 2028 | Unused singles places passed on |
| 5 May 2028 | Accreditation Long List due |
| 10 May 2028 | NPCs confirm reallocated singles places |
| 19 May 2028 | Invitation places announced |
| 26 May 2028 | NPCs confirm invitation places; final confirmation of all places |
| 31 May and 7 June 2028 | Extra doubles pairs invited and confirmed |
| 24 July 2028 | Sport entries close |
Unused places go to the next eligible player or pair on the ranking. After 26 May 2028 they go back to the IPC.
Where the document disagrees with itself
- The timeline says NPCs confirm singles places by 2 May 2028; the confirmation section says 10 May 2028. The earlier date is the safe one.
- One paragraph says "SL3-SL5 Doubles pairs"; there is no SL5 class (it means SL3-SU5 mixed pairs).