Tom Marrs was part of an important group of people to bring sponsors to badminton ©Badminton England

Tournament director Tom Marrs, who was integral to the television coverage of badminton in the 1970s, has died at the age of 83.

He passed away at Northampton General Hospital in England and is survived by his wife Margaret, daughter Sandra and son Lee.

During the sport's movement to being played professionally in the late 1970s, Marrs helped to progress the game by bringing badminton to iconic venues.

In 1979, he became the first tournament director to host an event at the Royal Albert Hall in London as the first Friends Provident Masters was held.

Marrs would also bring the importance of sponsorship to the sport, and signed up companies such as British Airways and The Famous Grouse for the Masters.

Three years after the inception of the Masters, he brought the hosting duties of the Men's World Team Championships, otherwise known as the Thomas Cup Finals, to the Royal Albert Hall.

Queen Elizabeth II attended the finals - the only time she has been present at a badminton event.

In 1978, Marrs became promotions director at the Badminton Association of England, now called Badminton England.

His tenure oversaw the Masters, the European Championships and the All England Open Badminton Championships.

He played an important part in bringing the latter competition from its old home at the Wembley Arena in London to its current one in Birmingham in 1994.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) invited him to be the technical consultant at the Badminton World Championships in both Seville in 2001 and Birmingham in 2003.

William Kings wrote a tribute on the Badminton England website to Marrs, describing him as a pioneer in the sport.

He said: "No-one will deny that Tom's lasting legacy is the All England Open Championships as we know it today, introducing innovations across the board as the oldest Open tournament in the world game was shaken out of its amateur era time warp and transformed into a dynamic and precisely organised major televised event.

"No wonder it today sits proudly among the top three annual tournaments on the BWF's international circuit.

"His many friends are keen to arrange a fitting tribute whenever it will be possible but, in the meantime, we can raise a glass in recognition of his pioneering spirit."