Paris Olympic medallists Viktor Axelsen and Kunlavut Vitidsarn to be featured next month Tickets to go on sale on Thursday

The six-day LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships, a HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500 event, will take place at the Hong Kong Coliseum, Hung Hom on September 10-15. The tournament, organised by the Badminton Association of Hong Kong, China (BAHKC) and sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation, will be supported by Chinese sports top brand Li-Ning as title sponsor for three consecutive years starting from 2024. The leading sports brand company will also become the Official Equipment Supplier of the event. Part of the HSBC BWF World Tour, the Super 500 event offers a hefty US$420,000 total prize money and is recognised by government’s ‘M’ Mark Events.

World number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, who successfully defended his Men’s Singles Olympic title in Paris, and fellow silver medalist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand will both be featured in Hong Kong, along with Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, the Women’s Singles world number three.

At today’s press conference (Aug 13), Dr. Tong Yun Kai, SBS, MBE, DBA, President of the BAHKC, hoped the tournament could follow the sensational Paris Olympic Games and sparked another round of success in Hong Kong. He said, “The 2024 Paris Olympics completed recently and during the live coverage of badminton events or media interviews, I am sure you must be impressed by the players who demonstrated strong Olympic spirits such as fighting attitude, solidarity and support for each other.

“The LI-NING Hong Kong Open will take place just one month after the Paris Olympic Games and I hope the tournament can continue to showcase the Olympic spirits and extend the sports fever so that we can work with all major stakeholders for further development of badminton in Hong Kong.”

The president of the BAHKC also thanked the support of title sponsor Li-Ning Company, BWF, HSBC, Major Sports Events Committee, Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Hong Kong Jockey Club, LCSD, other sponsors and the media.

At the press conference, Chairman of BAHKC, Mr. Tong Wai Lun, BBS, MH, JP also provided details of the tournament. He said there were 320 players from 26 countries and regions enrolled in the event. According to the World Tour rules, 264 players from 20 countries and regions qualify for the main draw, including 31 from China, 45 from Chinese Taipei, 35 from Malaysia, 26 from Indonesia, 22 from India, 19 from Thailand, 18 from South Korea, 13 from Denmark and 10 from Japan. They included two-time Olympic Men’s Singles champion Axelsen, 2024 Asia Championships bronze medalist Shi Yuqi of China, world number four and 2024 Asian champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia and 2023 world champion Vitidsarn of Thailand, who also clinched a silver medal in Paris.

Despite the sudden retirement of China’s Paris Olympic silver medalist He Bing Jiao, the Women’s Singles still attracts a host of star players, including world number three Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei and world number five Wang Zhiyi of China, the 2024 Asia champion. The Men’s Doubles will feature world number three pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, also bronze medallists at the Paris Olympics, world number two pair and fourth place at the Paris Olympics Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark and world number four pair Kang Minhyuk and Seo Seungjae of South Korea, the 2023 world champions. In the Women’s Doubles, world number three pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China, who also clinched a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, will spearhead the challenge, along with world number two pair and 2024 Asian champions, Baek Hana and Lee Sohee of South Korea. The mixed doubles field will be headed by Paris Games silver medallists Seo Seungjae and Chae Yujung of South Korea and world number three pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping of China, also the 2024 Asian champions.

Hosts Hong Kong, China will be represented by a top field, including the reigning Paris Olympics Mixed Doubles duo Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, Lee Cheuk Yiu in Men’s Singles, the Women’s Doubles pair Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam, and Lo Sin Yan Happy in Women’s Singles, as well as Ng Ka Long Angus, Jason Gunawan, Lee Chun Hei Reginald and Ng Tsz Yau, Fan Ka Yan and YAU Mau Ying, and 20 other players ready to compete. Taking the advantage Paris Olympics sports fever, they hope to create another round of badminton success in Hong Kong.

The 2024 Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships will be supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club as its official community partner. For the next two years, the ‘Jockey Club Hong Kong Open Badminton Community Programmes’ will give out free tickets to the underprivileged, youth and public. The Club will also set up booths in the piazza of the Hong Kong Coliseum during the tournament, organising “Badminton with You”International Star Masterclass so that the public can enjoy and experience the excitement of badminton.

Tickets will go on sale at URBTIX from August 15 (Thursday) 10:00am. Self-service Ticketing Kiosks booking will not be available until August 16. The qualifying rounds and men’s and women’s doubles first round on September 10 will offer free tickets. Please send a return envelope with HK$2.2 stamp to BAHKC office. A maximum four tickets will be available for each person until stocks last. For details, please visit the LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships official website at www.hkopenbadminton.org or through telephone enquiry at 2504-8318.