UAE to court more badminton success
Stars like Sindhu, Lakshya Sen to take part in mixed team event in February
The Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships and the presence of star players is set to raise the profile of the game in UAE and West Asia, feels top Asian official Moosa Nashid.
“Badminton in UAE is very popular and we see plenty of interest and involvement among the players. Badminton’s growth in this country is going to be immense and the UAE Badminton Federation (UBF) is doing a great job. Badminton will be capturing this region and the world as well,” Secretary General of Badminton Asia told Gulf News after overseeing the preparations for the continental showpiece, which will see the top 19 countries taking part in the mixed event.
Top teams in fray
Teams from China, Japan, India and Korea are expected to participate among the 19 nations confirmed for the February 14-19 championship to be held at Expo City Dubai Exhibition Centre. While India have announced their squad, the final entries and names among the confirmed countries is expected to be released in the next couple of days. “Asia is the powerhouse of the world and top players will be competing in the tournament. All top Asian countries will be represented. India, China, Japan and Korea and all the top counties from Asia will be present. World champions PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy are coming and that will underline the level of the competition,” the official added.
Dr Sathya Menon, whose company Beyond Boundaries has secured the five-year rights for hosting the Badminton Asia Championships, says there is no better place than Dubai to host the event with its connectivity and the immense support of government organisations.
“We have been in talks for over a year to bring this event here. UAE and Dubai are the sports capital of the world and it is a right fit to bring badminton, the second-most popular sport in the world, to this country,” Dr Sathya said.