Dubai: India Club chairman Vasu Shroff is confident that the annual India Club UAE Open Badminton Tournament will retain its prime position as the best badminton competition for a sustained period of time.
Shroff opened the 41st edition of the annual competition at the club’s premises in Bur Dubai on Tuesday evening and vouched to keep the club’s flag flying high through such a tournament, among other initiatives.
Shroff was accompanied by Gazi Al Madani, vice-chairman of the Financial Committee Badminton Asia, chairman of the Badminton Committee UAE and Sport Tourism Manager and acting director of the Events Department at Dubai Sports Council (DSC); Sunil Singh, head of the UAE Open Badminton Tournament Committee; Philip Cernik, chief marketing officer for the Middle East and Africa at Friends Provident International, and Rajkumar Pancholia at the inauguration of the event.
“I am extremely happy that India Club has reached yet another milestone of this tournament while conducting the 41st edition of this annual competition. In the past few years we have had the opportunity of hosting some of the top players from across the country, and after more than four decades we want to affirm that we will continue in our drive to deliver the best competition as always,” Shroff said in his opening remarks.
“This is one of the biggest badminton tournaments in the UAE and we will do everything possible to ensure that India Club keeps its position of delivering top events in the UAE,” he added.
A record number of more than 635 participants in the men’s, women’s, boys, girls and veterans segments will vie for top honours in 33 different categories.
All the matches will be played in the 21-point format in line with rules and regulations governed by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Furthermore, each player is allowed to participate in only three events so as to create opportunities for more players to make it to the top.
As a part of India Club’s drive towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), badminton matches will also be conducted for Special Needs Students from the SNF Development Centre and Dubai Autism Centre, among others. Winners and runners-up stand to receive discount vouchers from sponsors Li-Ning, among others.
Friends Provident International is the main sponsor, while Li-Ning, Suno 1024 FM, Nyati Builders, Air India, Consolidated Shipping Group, Carrera Sunglasses, Polaroid Sunglasses, FOCO, Capilano, Aarushi Designs and Super Vision Opticals are among the co-sponsors.
First held in 1978, the finals of this edition of this competition will be held on May 11.
