Signature badminton tournament beckons

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KUCHING: The Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) is planning to re-brand the annual Maybank Malaysia International Badminton Challenge which was successfully co-organised by the association here last month.

According to SBA president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain, it is about time that the state has a signature badminton tournament. He also believed that the Sarawak possess the right facilities to host international badminton competitions.

He said that reason for the name change is necessary because SBA wants a more localised international badminton tournament which is exclusive for Sarawak. It can also help put Sarawak’s name in the world badminton map.

“Badminton is undisputedly the number one sport in Malaysia. We are looking into re-naming the tournament as during the previous Maybank Malaysia International Badminton Challenge, we saw the tournament’s potential in helping the development of badminton in the state and place Sarawak in the world badminton map,” he added during an interview with The Borneo Post.

Abdul Aziz continued that there are a few names suggested for the tournament. One of the suggested names in the list is “The Sarawak International Open”, but no final and concrete decision has been made yet.

“It would be nice if we have our own international tournament here in Sarawak. Our locals can benefit from the experience brought in by the top and also foreign players playing here in future,” he added.

More than 200 top shuttlers from across the globe competed at the Maybank Malaysia International Badminton Challenge last month. All eyes were on former All-England champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim who competed and was top seed at the tournament.

The veteran shuttler was however the only casualty for Malaysia as he was edged by ninth seed Indonesian youngster Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo in the finals. Malaysian shuttlers nearly made a clean sweep in all of the categories contested in the tournament too.