Sweden hosted the first BWF World Championships in 1977.
The inaugural tournament took place in Malmö, Sweden, from 24 to 29 May 1977. It was the first edition of the individual world championships now organized by the Badminton World Federation, which was then called the International Badminton Federation.
The championships featured men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Players from established badminton nations competed for the first official world titles in each discipline. The host country was therefore the setting for a major milestone in the sport's international history.
This event is separate from the All England Open, which was already an important tournament by 1977, and from the Thomas and Uber Cups, which are team competitions. Sweden hosted the first edition, but the first men's singles champion was Indonesia's Rudy Hartono.