Australia’s para badminton athletes are preparing to compete on the world stage next week at the Bahrain BWF Para Badminton World Championships 2026, running from 7-14 February.

The Australian squad is heading to Manama with a strong and diverse squad, ready to compete against the world’s best in one of the most prestigious events on the para badminton calendar.

This event is a key milestone in the lead-up to future Paralympic cycles, offering crucial world ranking opportunities and high-level international competition.

“Having sixteen athletes competing in the Para Badminton World Championships is a major achievement for Australia, and this group being led by our Para Falcons adds an extra level of strength and experience. Our players have been working hard in preparation for this benchmark event, and are motivated and ready to compete against the best in the world,” said Badminton Australia National Para Performance Manager and Team Manager, Olivia Knowles.

Of the 16 athletes selected, eight are Para Falcon athletes, reflecting the success of the Para Falcon program in supporting high performance para badminton athletes.

Matches and results can be followed live via the official event draw and results page: https://bwfbadminton.com/tournament/5605/bahrain-bwf-para-badminton-world-championships-2026/info

Australian Players:

Martyn Ford
WH1 Men’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Men’s Doubles (with Grant Manzoney)

Nang Van Nguyen
WH1 Men’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Men’s Doubles (with Hayden Braun)

Bree Wright
WH1 Women’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Mixed Doubles (with Qambar Ali Akhetyari)
WH1-WH2 Women’s Doubles (with Mischa Ginns)

Macka Mackenzie
WH1 Women’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Mixed Doubles (with Grant Manzoney)

Grant Manzoney
WH2 Men’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Men’s Doubles (with Martyn Ford)
WH1-WH2 Mixed Doubles (with Macka Mackenzie)

Qambar Ali Akhetyari
WH2 Men’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Mixed Doubles (with Bree Wright)

Mischa Ginns
WH2 Women’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Women’s Doubles (with Bree Wright)
WH1-WH2 Mixed Doubles (with Marcelo Alves Conceicao [BRA])

Celine Vinot
SL3 Women’s Singles
SL3-SU5 Women’s Doubles (with Zashka Gunson)

Caitlin Dransfield
SL3 Women’s Singles

Lachlan Boulton
SL4 Men’s Singles

Brandon Poon
SL4 Men’s Singles
SL3-SU5 Mixed Doubles (with Zashka Gunson)

Zashka Gunson
SL4 Women’s Singles
SL3-SU5 Mixed Doubles (with Brandon Poon)
SL3-SU5 Women’s Doubles (with Celine Vinot)

Arika Shetty
SL4 Women’s Singles

Katelyn Colley
SH6 Women’s Singles
SH6 Women’s Doubles (with Sarah Keenahan)

Sarah Keenahan
SH6 Women’s Singles
SH6 Women’s Doubles (with Katelyn Colley)

Hayden Braun
WH2 Men’s Singles
WH1-WH2 Men’s Doubles (with Nang Van Nguyen)

Australian Team Officials in Attendance:

Olivia Knowles – National Para Performance Manager / Team Manager

Ian Bridge – National Para Head Coach

Stephen Hadlow – Para Performance Support Specialist

Tom Champion – Assistant Coach

Victoria Wang – Assistant Coach

Brooke Bakaric – Physio/Medical Lead

Stay tuned to Badminton Australia’s social media channels for more content and updates from all the action in Bahrain.