Sport | Other Sports
Top stars for UAE's oldest badminton event
Top badminton players from India, China and the Philippines will take part in the India Club-Western Union badminton tournament next month.
- By K.R. Nayar, Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:14 April 30, 2008
- Image Credit: Supplied picture
- F.D. Warden, executive director, Air India, with Sunil Singh, chairman, India Club, Katta Prasad, director marketing, Diaspora, and Bharat Chachara, manager, India Club, at the press conference at India Club on Tuesday.
Dubai: Top badminton players from India, China and the Philippines will take part in the India Club-Western Union badminton tournament next month.
"Five top badminton players from India and many outstanding players from the Philippines and even China will compete in our tournament this year," remarked Sunil Singh, the chairman of the India Club.
Saurav Verma, a product of Gopichand Academy and who is India's No 1 junior singles player, Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar, ranked No 1 in men's doubles, will participate.
Diju Valiya Veetil and Jaseel P. Esmail, who are ranked No 2 in men's double, will also fly in.
Air India will sponsor the players' tickets. They have also sponsored return tickets for the winners in six categories.
'Bigger and better'
"The tournament has got bigger and better every year. We have increased the prize money to Dh50,000, which makes it the richest badminton tournament in the country," said Singh.
This tournament, started in the early 1980s, has been staged every year except in 1997 and 1999.
Over 300 players will take part in the tournament to be held at the India Club badminton court every day from 7pm from May 27 onwards.
More than 15 matches will be played every Thursday and Friday from the morning.
Each player can participate in a maximum of three events only.
Entry forms are available at the India Club reception and can also be downloaded from www.Indiaclub.com. The last date for receiving the entries is May 15. The final is scheduled for June 13.
CATEGORIES
Under-10: Girls' singles, boys singles.Under-12: Girls' singles, boys singles.
Under-14: Girls' singles, boys singles.
Under-18: Girls' singles, boys singles, and boys doubles. Women's singles, women's doubles. Men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles.
Over-45: Veteran singles, veteran doubles and veteran mixed doubles with lady partner of any age.
Over 50: Men's doubles with lady partner of any age.
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