Prepare to watch some world-class badminton! The fantastic reputation of the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open 2019 lives on, and as the first Olympic qualifying event of the year, Badminton New Zealand has announced the entry list for this year’s event, which includes the highest quality assembly of badminton players the country has ever seen.
The Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open 2019 is set to thrill crowds at Eventfinda Stadium from Tuesday 30 April – Sunday 5 May.
With the release of the entry lists from the Badminton World Federation (BWF), fans will want to be quick to purchase tickets for the Super 300 event on the HSBC BWF World Tour (one of just 11 worldwide), with every event on the programme promising badminton like never seen before in New Zealand.
Entry highlights include:
- A record 325 players entered from 21 countries
- 11 players/pairs ranked in the top 5 in the world
- 23 players/pairs ranked in the top 10 in the world
- 11 former World Champions or former World Number 1 ranked players
- 13 Olympic Medallists
MEN’S SINGLES
- An amazing 11 of the top 20 men’s singles players in the world
- Two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion Lin Dan returns
- Inclusion of young rising superstar Loh Kean Yew (SGP), who defeated Lin Dan to win Thailand Masters 2019
WOMEN’S SINGLES
- Six of the top 20 women’s singles players in the world
- 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist, Li Xurei (CHN #21 in world rankings)
- Barfoot & Thompson NZ Open Champion 2018, Sayaka Takahashi returns (JPN #11)
- Commonwealth Games three-time gold medallist Saina Nehwal (IND #9)
MEN’S DOUBLES
- Eight of the top 20 players in the world
- Former world #1 ranked pairing from Indonesia, Ahsan / Setiawan (#4, 2x World Champions, Setiawan was World Champion and Olympic Champion in 2008)
- Korean superstar Lee Yong Dae (former world #1, Olympic bronze medallist 2012)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES
- Current world #1 pair, Fukushima / Hirota (JPN)
- The entire top ten pairings in the world on rankings – there will be no easy matches in the event, with world-class action from round one
MIXED DOUBLES
- Five of the world’s top ten combinations, including 2016 Olympic Games silver medallists, Chan / Goh from Malaysia (#5)
- Chris and Gabrielle Adcock, two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallists (ENG #6)
Last year the event sold out on multiple days, therefore it is recommended to book your tickets early to avoid dissapointment.
Please note that the final entry list will be available when the draws are confirmed on Tuesday 9 April 2019.
You can purchase tickets here.
