The 2017 SKYCITY New Zealand Badminton Open has today announced a stellar field across all disciplines, headlined by one of the absolute stars of the sport in world number two men’s singles player, Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia).
Originally scheduled for march this year but delayed due to the Adele live concerts coming to Auckland at that time, the August 1-6 tournament at the North Shore Events Centre is a BWF Gold Grand Prix event, but has again punched well above its weight with the quality and depth of the players coming to New Zealand from 18 countries - many of them powerhouses in the world of badminton.
The jewel in the crown is without question the appearance of Lee Chong Wei. The 34-year-old is a four time All England champion, three time Olympic and World Championship silver medalist and has won his home Malaysian Open an incredible 11 times in an illustrious career that shows no sign of slowing.
Event Director Julie Carrel has been trying for some years to secure the signature of Lee Chong Wei and is delighted to have him leading such a world class field across the week.
The tournament is hosted at the North Shore Events Centre, with an official opening at SKYCITY on Monday July 31st.Qualifying for all events takes place on Tuesday (along with the men’s singles first round matches).
The quality of the entry list means that the majority of the 64 New Zealanders will play in qualifying as they look to earn a place in the main draw and with it, gain vital international experience.
The tournament builds to a conclusion with live television across the Saturday and Sunday, with all matches hosted at the North Shore Events Centre. Tickets are on sale now and with the quality of the field and the attraction of Lee Chong Wei, Carrel expects demand to be high.
Photo credit: Shi Tang
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