Hannes Käsbauer Appointed as Sport Director of the German Badminton Association (DBV)

Käsbauer Takes the Helm at Deutscher Badminton-Verband

Prioritizing Continuity Across Olympic Cycles

DBV leaders explicitly designed the appointment to establish multi-year continuity within the sports director role. High-performance concepts require entire Olympic cycles rather than fleeting months to yield results, making reliability at the top level essential for both personnel and strategic planning. By elevating Käsbauer, the federation emphasizes a core principle for its future: identifying, developing, and promoting talent directly from within its own ranks across both coaching and management structures.

Institutional Progression

Käsbauer brings a comprehensive institutional background to his new mandate. A former national player, he began working full-time for the DBV in 2016. He initially served as a national coach, then stepped up as a federal base manager, and took over as head national coach in 2024. Through this progression, he has maintained daily collaboration with elite athletes, regional training bases, and state associations.

“We looked around very carefully—and in the end found that the best solution was already working with us,” said DBV President Ulrich Grill regarding the selection process. “Hannes Käsbauer knows our athletes, our coaches, our structures, and the tasks ahead of us from direct personal experience. We want this position to radiate calm and reliability, and we want good people in German badminton to see a future here without having to leave the federation.”

Managing the Interim Coaching Transition

The vacancy created by Käsbauer’s transition away from his previous role will not be filled immediately, as the federation intends to take deliberate time with the decision. Daily athletic operations remain unaffected because all individual disciplines currently feature dedicated national coaches. The DBV plans to announce further developments concerning coaching positions in the coming months.

Käsbauer steps into the director post amid shifting national conditions. “I have seen firsthand over the past few years what is possible in this federation—and where we struggle,” Käsbauer said. “The framework conditions in German elite sport are undergoing fundamental and dynamic changes. We do not need long speeches; we need to deliver answers. I look forward to tackling that together with the coaches, athletes, and regional associations.”

Verifiable Milestones and 2029 Funding Strategy

To ensure rigorous oversight, the DBV board will closely accompany the new sports director through a target agreement anchored by verifiable milestones. These benchmarks include an updated youth elite sports concept, a strategy to position the federation ahead of anticipated new sports funding policies arriving in 2029, a regular review of regional target agreements with state associations, and an updated clarification of internal responsibilities and decision-making pathways.