History
What’s happened so far, from the first idea to where we are now.
How it all started
The first meeting
On January 27, 2023, members from SC Janus (Cologne), SC AufRuhr (Bochum), and VC Phoenix Düsseldorf met for the first time to talk about creating a queer badminton league.
It started as a simple idea — but a good one.
Founding the association
On August 3, 2023, the association Queere Badminton Liga was officially founded at the restaurant “Zur Heimlichen Liebe” at Lake Baldeney in Essen.
At first, the plan was to run a trial season just in North Rhine-Westphalia, with teams from Cologne, Bochum, and Düsseldorf playing against each other to see how it goes.
Trial season 2023
For the trial season, nine teams met in Düsseldorf and Cologne for test match days.
There was a combined Group A/B and a Group C.
The team Court Couture from Cologne won the trial season.
The match day was a big success, and of course everyone went for dinner together afterwards.
That’s when it became clear: this could actually become something bigger. Next step: the first full season in 2024.
The QUBALI logo
Before the 2024 season started, the QUBALI logo was created together with a freelance graphic designer. The colorful anchor stands for diversity and unity — values that are central to us as a queer sports association.
Delegates’ Assembly 2024
On April 6 and 7, 2024, team representatives met in Cologne for the delegates’ assembly ahead of the 2024 season.
The board expanded, important rules and match dates were agreed on, and there were workshops on topics like diversity, social media, and organizing match days. After that, everything was ready for the first official season.
First Match Days 2024
Between late April and late May 2024, the first match days of the 2024 season took place:
- Düsseldorf (Group 3)
- Leipzig (Group 2)
- Cologne (Group 1)
A total of 16 teams from across Germany competed.
The stage was set for the final match day in October, where the champions would be decided.
Official Registration
On August 17, 2024, after a lot of preparation and communication with the Cologne District Court, we officially became Queere Badminton Liga e.V. That was a big milestone for us.
Source: https://www.ag-koeln.nrw.de/behoerde/Terminbuchung/index.php
Season Finale 2024 in Frankfurt
On October 19, 2024, 16 teams from all over Germany came together in Frankfurt for the big finale.
All divisions played in the same venue — 139 players in total.
The champions of 2024 were:
- Sassy Smashers Cologne – Group I
- Smash ’n’ Awe Düsseldorf – Group II
- Smashing Disasters Cologne – Group III
- Team Rocket Cologne – Group IV
It was intense, competitive, and a really special day for everyone involved.
Queer of the Year 2024
At the finale, we introduced the special award “Queer of the Year” to recognize outstanding commitment.
In 2024, the award went to Daniel from Frankfurt, who organized the entire season finale — from booking the venue to arranging catering and the joint dinner. Huge appreciation for that effort.
Thank you, Daniel!
Delegates’ Assembly 2024 in Hamburg
On November 16, 2024, we met in Hamburg for the next delegates’ assembly.
For 2025, 26 teams registered. The board expanded again, and responsibilities were adjusted. Match dates and locations were set, and regulations were updated.
After the meetings, we played some badminton together and ended the day with dinner — as usual.
Season Kick-Off 2025
The 2025 season kicked off with several match days across different groups and regions:
- Match Day 1, Group III – February 22, 2025
- Match Day 1, Group II – March 22, 2025
- Match Day 1, Group IV Northeast – April 26, 2025
- Match Day 1, Group I – May 17, 2025
- Match Day 1, Group IV Southwest – May 24, 2025
More details can be found in the match reports.
Second Half of the 2025 Season
And just like that, we have reached the second half of the season. This is where everything is decided regarding promotion and relegation.
- Match Day 2, Group IV Southwest – September 6, 2025
- Match Day 2, Group I – September 13, 2025
- Match Day 2, Group III – September 27, 2025
- Match Day 2, Group II – October 25, 2025
- Match Day 2, Group IV Northeast – October 25, 2025
Who takes home the trophy and which teams celebrate promotion or face relegation can be read in the match reports.
Queer of the Year 2025
In 2025, Marcel from Düsseldorf received the “Queer of the Year” award.
He manages the website, email accounts, and the cloud system — basically making sure everything runs smoothly in the background.
Without that kind of work, none of this would function.
Thank you, Marcel!
Delegates’ Assembly 2025 in Leipzig
IIn 2025, we met in Leipzig to prepare for the 2026 season.
A total of 36 teams registered — and for the first time, international teams from the Netherlands, Austria, and France joined the league.
The board expanded again to handle the growth, new roles were assigned, and elections were held.
We are pleased to welcome Sébastien from Karlsruhe as the new board member responsible for internationalization.
Christian and Timo were re-elected by the delegates to their previous positions. The finance role is now taken over by Bastian from Cologne, as Dominic decided to step back from his board position.
Thank you Dominic for your tremendous commitment, excellent and conscientious work, and support.
We would also like to thank the hosts, Rosa Löwen Leipzig, for the excellent organization of the facilities and the supporting program around the 2025 delegates’ assembly weekend.
Looking back, it’s pretty impressive how much QUBALI has grown in such a short time — from one meeting in early 2023 to an international queer badminton league.
And we’re just getting started. 🏸