Nine of the world’s top 10 men’s singles shuttlers will be in town next month for the OUE Singapore Open, organisers confirmed yesterday, after the registration deadline last Tuesday.
Among Japan’s 21-strong team are world No. 3 Kento Momota, who is back to defend his singles title, and Nozomi Okuhara, who won the women’s singles title at the Badminton World Federation Superseries final in Dubai last year.
Momota (left), who also won the men’s singles title in Dubai last year, said: “Last year’s Singapore Open was a turning point in my career and I’m looking forward to coming back next month to defend my title.”
World No. 4 Jan O Jorgensen, bronze medallist at last year’s world championships, heads the Danish team and, with the likes of Chen Long, Lin Dan, Viktor Axelsen, Chou Tien Chen, Tian Houwei, Tommy Sugiarto and Kidambi Srikanth all in the mix, this year’s tournament at the Singapore Indoor Stadium promises to be a grand event.
EXCEPTION
The only exception is world No. 2 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who has decided to give the tournament, scheduled from April 12 to 17, a miss.
The South Korean team will be headlined by men’s doubles world No. 1 pair of Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong, and there are also entries from Taiwan, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Canada and the United States.
Singapore will field a 24-strong team, headed by Commonwealth Games 2014 men’s singles silver-medallist Derek Wong.
This article was first published on March 3, 2016.
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