KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will hold the World Super Series Masters Finals next month, the Badminton World Federation announced Tuesday, saying it had struggled to find a host due to the tough economic times.

The event will be held from December 2-6 in Kuala Lumpur.

"It is with a sense of extreme pleasure that we are now able to announce the much-awaited news regarding the host of the Super Series Finals," said Badminton World Federation (BWF) deputy president Paisan Rangsikitpho.

"Due to the difficult financial climate this year, it has not been possible to secure the host before this," he said in a statement.

"Last year's finals in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, were very well received and we expect badminton fans in Malaysia to once again support the finals," he added.

The format of the competition - which concludes the 12-leg BWF World Super Series - remains unchanged, with the top eight ranked players or pairs in the Super Series ranking qualifying for the finals.

The finals prize pool is US$500,000, with the winners of the men's and women's singles pocketing US$40,000 each.

- AFP/yb