BADMINTON associations have long aimed to raise competition standards and improve player development but high cost and availability access to technology has largely been limited to elite international tournaments.
That changed last week at the AFFIN 100PLUS Junior Elite Tour Finals 2026, Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) flagship junior tournament which concluded on Sunday (June 21) after a full-six days deployment of the Reveal Lens Instant Review System (IRS).
It is the world’s first AI (artificial intelligence)-powered review system for badminton that is approved by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Across badminton, including its continental confederations, efforts to expand access to officiating technology have grown but deployment remains limited by cost and infrastructure constraints at lower levels of competition.
Henceforth, BAM’s decision to introduce such system at junior level marks a tangible step in a different direction with no domestic junior series in the region having done so before.
‘Prevent disputes’
Developed by Malaysian sports technology firm Revealtek Sdn Bhd, the advanced technology system was deployed across two courts, thus allowing players to challenge line calls and receive AI-assisted decisions within seconds with the challemge being displayed live inside the hall.
Digital scoring, live streaming and court-side displays supported operations across all eight courts.
When a player challenges a line call, footage captured at 480 frames per second is reviewed and processed almost immediately.
A decision is delivered within seconds and displayed in the hall. What previously risked becoming a prolonged dispute is resolved before tension has time to build, thus allowing play to resume almost instantly.
Beyond officiating, the tournament also served as an early exposure platform for junior players to systems used at international level.
Coaches were given access to match footage and performance data while live streaming brought the action to fans beyond the venue.
Revealtek’s CEO Nizam Mohamed said the company’s aim was to make tournament technology accessible so that more events and players could benefit from it.
“We are very grateful to BAM for the opportunity. What this week has shown is that world-class officiating technology is no longer out of reach,” he enthused. “We intend to keep it that way. Malaysia is now setting the standard for the region.”
‘Addressing trained line judges’ shortage’
Since its debut earlier this year, Revealtek’s Reveal Lens Instant Review System has featured at several badminton tournaments, including the PETRONAS National Under-18 Badminton Championships 2026 in Selangor and the AFFIN 100PLUS Junior Elite Tour series.
Following its domestic roll-out, Nizam shared that the company is in discussions with several badminton continental confederations with its next confirmed deployment at the Singapore International Challenge in August, its first international assignment outside Malaysia.
BAM officials said the roll-out reflects a broader direction for Malaysian badminton.
Its secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh said technology of this kind has a clear place in how players are developed and how tournaments are run, especially in supporting more consistent and transparent match decisions.
Meanwhile, BAM deputy president Subramaniam added the implementation of the technology reflects the governing body’s long-term aspirations to strengthen the development of Malaysian badminton.
“We’re pleased to bring these facilities to a junior event. It reflects the direction we want for Malaysian badminton and the standards we hope to set across our tournaments,” he explained.
Revealtek is targeting a September 2026 pilot for its Electronic Line Calls system which aims to address the growing shortage of trained line judges at tournaments worldwide.
The company is also developing post-match analytics tools built on the same camera infrastructure already deployed at venues, thus expanding its role beyond officiating into player development and talent identification. – June 23, 2026
