LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships to showcase top-class competitions at Hong Kong Coliseum next month Tang/Tse pair to treasure the opportunity of playing in front of home crowds Lee Cheuk Yiu wants to break title drought

The 6-day “LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2025 part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500” will take place at the Hong Kong Coliseum from September 9 to 14. The annual tournament has attracted a quality field of players from all over the world with the home team also sending a strong squad, including reigning Asian Mixed Doubles champions Tang Chung Man/Tse Ying Suet. The pair said they always treasured the opportunity of playing on the home ground and wanted to bring good badminton to the crowd. Men’s Singles players also wanted to perform at the Coliseum, with Jason Gunawan vowing to improve his top-eight finish of last year while 2019 champion Lee Cheuk Yiu hoping to break his title drought.

Since 2024, the Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships has received title sponsorship from Li-Ning (China) Sports Goods Co., Ltd. for three consecutive years and has also been named a “M” Mark event by the government. This year, the tournament offers a record total winning prize US$500,000 (approximate HK$3.9 million) and at a press conference on August 18, Dr Tong Yun Kai SBS, MBE, DBA, President of the Badminton Association of Hong Kong, China, was expecting some top-class badminton again at the Hong Kong Coliseum. “The Li-Ning Hong Kong Open continues to attract Olympic medallists and top players from all over the world. It can bring not only badminton fans of Hong Kong to the tournament but also many from overseas and the mainland,” he said. The official also paid tribute to the support of many concerned parties, including title sponsor Li-Ning Sports Goods Company, Badminton World Federation, HSBC, Major Sports Events Committee, Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Leisure and Cultural Services Department and other sponsors.

Tong Wai Lun BBS, MH, JP, Chairman of the Badminton Association of Hong Kong, China said the tournament had received an entry of 336 players. In accordance with the World Tour regulations, 272 players from 17 countries and regions have qualified, including Paris Olympic Men’s Singles champion Viktor Axelsen, world number one Shi Yuqi, Mixed Doubles world number one pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping and reigning Asian champions in three events, Women’s Singles Chen Yufei, Women’s Doubles world number one pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning and Men’s Doubles Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia.

The Hong Kong, China team also sent 27 of its best players for the home tournament. They included Mixed Doubles pair Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet, who clinched a bronze and a silver medal over the last two years. The pair had high hopes of playing on the home ground again and bringing some exciting badminton for the fans. “Every year we receive strong support from many of the home fans and of course we want to stand on the medal podium again. But more important for us is to play some badminton in front of the crowd,” said the pair, who currently ranks fifth in the world rankings. The pair separated for a short period of time late last year when Tse suffered from injuries but once they joined forces again, they immediately lifted the Asian Championships title of this year. The pair said they now set the 2026 Asian Games as their next target. “For us, every tournament is like counting down of our career. The Hong Kong Open is one of our most important events and we will definitely give our best.”

Men’s Singles Lee Cheuk Yiu said he learnt the tournament had received a very strong sale and hoped he could do well again this time. “I want to end my title drought and experience the atmosphere of playing in the final at the Coliseum again,” said the 2019 Hong Kong Open champion, who would put the past records behind and focused on how to make improvement. “It has been six years since I won it here and it’s all history. Now I want to realise my new targets and improve more on my game.”

Young gun Jason Gunawan, who reached the quarter-finals and last 16 respectively in the last two events, targeted to do better this time. But he still had to focus on each match first. “I will have to play match by match before thinking where I can finish. All the top players will come to Hong Kong and there is no easy match. I hope I can perform on the home ground so that the fans can see Hong Kong players has the power to challenge the top players,” he said.

Veteran Angus Ng hoped he would avoid from facing the eventual champion in his first-round match of this year’s tournament and would also try to deliver in front of the home fans. The Hong Kong Open, Ng said, would also be a good preparation as they build up for the China National Games which will take place in November.

This year, the Li-Ning Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships continues to receive support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club as the Official Community Partner. For two years in a row, the “Jockey Club Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships Community Programme” will distribute free tickets to underprivileged groups, youth, and the public. The event will also feature activity booths at the Piazza outside the Coliseum and stage the “Badminton With You” International Star Masterclass which offers the public a chance to interact closely with international badminton stars and experience world class competition.

Tickets for the Li-Ning Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships are now available for sale via the URBTIX website but already tickets on September 12 afternoon section and the last two days on September 13 and 14 have been sold out. Also, free admission tickets for the qualifying rounds and first round of the Men’ and Women’s Doubles on September 9 have all given out. For more details of the tournament, pls visit the official website https://hkopenbadminton.org/.