An Emirati achievement.. Ryan Mulhan tops the international badminton rankings in the youth category

The star of the UAE badminton team, Ryan Mulhan, continued his remarkable brilliance on the international scene, after he topped the international classification for the youth category, recently issued by the Badminton International Federation (BWF), following his recent well-deserved victory in the Hungarian International Youth Championship title, approved by the International Badminton Federation.

The Ministry of Sports said in a press statement: “This achievement is the culmination of a distinguished career of continental and international successes, as Ryan Mulhane previously won the bronze medal in the 2025 Asian Youth Games, in addition to the bronze medal in the 2024 Asian U-15 Championship, confirming his position among the continent’s elite players in his age group.”

A national system for creating heroes

The statement added: “This excellence reflects the result of the integrated efforts made by the Emirates Committee to nurture sports talents and support national sports, especially after the launch of the Sports Champion Path late last year, which is an integrated national framework for discovering, nurturing and refining sports talents in accordance with the best international practices. The Emirates Committee for Elite and High Level Sports also plays a pivotal role in supporting the player’s career, by providing a professional training environment that includes technical support and specialized fitness programs, through the Badminton Center of Excellence.”

In the same context, the Emirates Committee for Nurturing Sports Talents held a specialized technical meeting with international star Anders Antonsen, ranked world No. 3 in the International Badminton Federation, champion of the European Games in 2019, European champion for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and bronze medalist at the World Championships in 2021, 2023 and 2025. The meeting came on the sidelines of the recently concluded Badminton Championship for Sports Talents, with the aim of supporting the player’s technical aspects and enhancing his chances of reaching international levels.

Formal support and institutional integration

Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sports Development and Competitiveness Sector at the Ministry of Sports, and Chairman of the Emirates Committee for Nurturing Sports Talents and Supporting National Sports, confirmed that this achievement reflects the success of the national vision in investing in sports talent, indicating that what Ryan Mulhan is achieving is the result of integrated institutional work, and confirms the effectiveness of the “Sports Champion Path” program in preparing champions capable of representing the UAE at the highest international levels.

Regarding the meeting with world badminton star Anders Antonsen, he pointed out that this comes within the committee’s efforts and one of its most important current directions to involve the best international players with Olympic experience in talent discovery tournaments for various sports, with the aim of supporting the technical aspects of emerging Emirati talents, gaining more experience, and enhancing their chances of achieving global achievements.

For her part, the President of the UAE Badminton Federation, Noura Al Jasmi, expressed her great pride in this achievement, stressing that the results achieved by the player reflect the rapid development of badminton in the country, noting that Ryan Mulhan represents an honorable model for the ambitious Emirati player, and that what he is achieving today is the result of long-term planning and integrated efforts between the federation and the relevant committees.