The All England: The Post-War Years
This is the second part of a two-part series on the 121 years of the All England. Read part 1 here.
· DEV SUKUMAR
With the event attracting international players, the 12,000-seater Harringay Arena was chosen for the 1940 All England. But the War put paid to the staging of the event, until it was revived in 1947. Harringay Arena did not last long as the venue, and during 1950-1956 the event was moved to Empress Hall. Building repairs in 1957 forced a shift to Wembley Arena, which was to become synonymous with the All England until the event finally shifted to Birmingham in 1994 following a successful staging of the World Championships the previous year.
The complexion of the game changed dramatically after the War. Denmark – where badminton wasn’t disrupted due to the War unlike in England – dominated the first two editions on resumption. USA -- with players like Dave Freeman, Judy Devlin and Margaret Varner, and Malaya – boasting names such as Wong Peng Soon, Ooi Teik Hock, Ong Poh Lim and Eddy and David Choong – were in the spotlight for varying periods of time. Freeman won the All England in his only appearance in 1949, but his compatriot Judy Devlin (Hashman) became one of the game’s legends, dominating the women’s game from the mid-fifties right through the sixties, capturing 17 titles in all.
These players were the flag-bearers of badminton in their countries. USA would win the first three Uber Cup titles, while Malaya (now Malaysia) swept the first three editions of the Thomas Cup.