It leaves the contest to replace South Korea's Dr. Kang Young Joong at the BWF annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur on May 18 between Denmark's Poul-Erik Høyer and Indonesia's Justian Suhandinata. 

Nadzmi, President of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), had last week replaced Japan's Katsuto Momii as head of the Badminton Asia Confederation following a vote of no confidence in him.

But a statement from the BWF today confirmed that that Nadzmi, a successful businessman, had withdrawn from the world governing body election. 

"BWF secretary general Thomas Lund has indicated that the Badminton Association of Malaysia - who nominated Nadzmi - today indicated officially that the BAM President will no longer stand for the BWF's top post when BWF Council elections are held on Saturday 18 May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia," the BWF statement said.

Høyer, the 1996 Olympic singles champion, the President of Badminton Europe, was already considered the big favourite to win the election after a record 52 countries officially seconded his candidature.

If Høyer wins, he will be the first President of badminton's world governing body to be from Europe since it adopted its current idenity in 2006 and the first non-Asian since 1993, when Britain's Arthur Jones held the role.

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