The Yonex Canada Open 2011 runs this coming week at the Richmond Olympic Oval from Monday July 18 to the 24th.
This is Canada’s largest badminton tournament and features premiere badminton stars from around the world.
Thirty-five participating countries will field over 250 competitors making it the largest international sports gathering since the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
This event is an Olympic-qualifying tournament so the world’s best players will all be here.
On the women’s side, Taiwan and Indonesia look to be the teams to beat for the Olympic spots. Shao Chieh Cheng of Taiwan, known as the most technically skilled female player on earth, secured the first seed and is favoured to win.
Her closest opponent appears to be Pi Hongyan, the French sensation and former world #1, who promises to make the tournament interesting and difficult for her Taipei counterpart.
In the men’s event, returning champion Taufik Hidayat is the first seed and is favoured to win.
Standing in his way, however, is an armada from China and a hungry group of Europeans, including the German “Wildman” Marc Zwiebler.
The tournament will begin on Tuesday, July 18th with Qualifying at the Richmond Olympic Oval and tickets are now on sale at www.clearonebadminton.com.
For more information go to www.canadaopen.ca.