The Minister of Culture and Sports, Patricia del Pozo, has participated in the Huelva City Council, along with representatives from the Andalusian and National Badminton Federations, in the first meeting of the Organizing Committee of the European Badminton Championship, which will take place at the Carolina Marín Sports Palace in the city of Huelva, from April 6 to 12, 2026, and will have the great attraction of the local athlete.
Patricia del Pozo has emphasized that «Huelva will once again host the best badminton players, as it did in the 2021 World Championships and the 2018 European Championship, positioning the city of Huelva as one of the great capitals of badminton worldwide.»
Del Pozo also pointed out that «this will be possible thanks to the joint work of all the administrations involved in the event, the Andalusian Government, the Huelva City Council, the Provincial Council of Huelva, the Spanish and Andalusian Badminton Federations, and with the support of the Higher Sports Council. This would not have been possible without the firm will of Carolina Marín herself, who wanted her city to host once again a competition of the highest level.»
The Minister also highlighted that «our president, Juanma Moreno, had committed to Carolina that, from the Andalusian Government, we would do everything in our power to ensure that the championship took place in Huelva. We have fulfilled this commitment and brought another major international sporting event to Andalusia, which is a source of wealth, generates employment, promotes our land beyond our borders, and encourages sports practice among our citizens.»
Huelva’s Mayor, Pilar Miranda, stated that «today marks the official countdown to the European Championship, so that next year Huelva will once again become the center of European badminton, in an event that will go down in history. Today, all administrations along with the federation come together to work for an event that will be historic for the city. A Badminton European Championship that could not be held anywhere else but in Huelva, because it was a dream, a desire of Carolina, of the Huelva federation, and of the entire city to bring this competition here.»
In this regard, Miranda emphasized that, as «Mayor of Huelva, I am very proud to host the European Badminton Championship, where the city will pay tribute to Carolina Marín as our great champion, as the best ambassador of this city, an exemplary, courageous, hardworking, and determined athlete.» Therefore, she expressed her conviction that «Huelva will rise to the occasion to organize the best European Championship in history.»
The President of the Spanish Badminton Federation, Andoni Azurmendi, highlighted that «Andalusia has great experience in organizing sports events, and badminton is a prime example of this. Furthermore, having Carolina in her arena once again is the best tribute that can be paid to the greatest badminton player in history and possibly the greatest Spanish athlete of all time.»
The Sports Deputy, Juan Daniel Romero, stated that «the goal we have at the Huelva Provincial Council is for the European Badminton Championship to reach every corner of our province, serving as a sports promotion.» The meeting of the Organizing Committee also had the presence of the President of the Andalusian Badminton Federation, Juan Carlos Longo.
The celebration of the European Badminton Championship in Huelva in 2026 means that the city of Huelva and Andalusia will once again become the epicenter of international badminton, after hosting the 2021 World Championships and the 2018 European Championship, a title that Carolina Marín won at home. With the first meeting of the Organizing Committee of the competition, where all the administrations involved are represented, the first step is taken for the European Badminton Championship Huelva 2026 to be a resounding success.
