International Badminton serves up an SA return
Elite athletes from 12 countries a will be making a racquet in Adelaide this week after a seven-year interval.
For the first time since 2019, Adelaide will host the YONEX South Australia International, bringing elite competitors to Enfield’s South Australia Badminton Arena.
The event, running from Wednesday this week until Sunday, will involve 146 athletes from 12 countries across Oceania, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Participants will vie for ranking points and $10,000 in prizes as regional athletes, coaches, officials and supporters gather at the Badminton Arena.
Badminton South Australia chair Simon Oaten described the event as a “fantastic opportunity” to showcase the sport and highlight its sustained growth in the state.
“We’ve waited a long time to bring an international event home, and our community, our volunteers and our players are ready,” Oaten said.
He attribute the seven-year gap to COVID bringing international sport to a standstill and this was followed by a restructuring of the international badminton calendar.
Among the most anticipated athletes at this week’s event are reigning Oceania men’s singles champion Shrey Dhand from Victoria and Australia’s Youth Olympic Games representatives Om Neelam and Smrithi Adepu.
“For our emerging athletes, access to more world-ranking events close to home is absolutely critical,” said Badminton Australia CEO Tjitte Weistra.
“It allows them to gain international experience earlier, compete against a broader field of players, and accelerate their development without the cost of regular international travel.”
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The YONEX South Australia International is part of the region’s growing international calendar. It will be followed next week by the YONEX Melbourne International, running from November 18 to November 22.
“We’re looking forward to a week of high-quality badminton in Adelaide,” said Badminton Oceania Secretary General Julie Carrel.
“It’s fantastic to see South Australia welcoming international badminton back after seven years. Events like this give Oceania athletes more opportunities to earn world ranking points and gain international experience close to home.”
Badminton South Australia is the state association for badminton in South Australia, representing affiliated clubs across metropolitan and country areas since 1930.
Spectator entry is free. The event will run at Badminton Arena, Ragless Avenue, Enfield.
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