Top teams China, Japan, India, and Indonesia have confirmed their participation at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship that kicks off at the Expo City-Dubai Exhibition Centre on February 14, 2023.
Held under the patronage of the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mabarak Al Nahayan, the event will be contested by 17 nations with some of the top names in the badminton world including Olympic medallists to highlight the field.
Defending champions China and the runners up in 2019 edition Japan, are seeded as the top two teams and are placed in the top of two of the four groups before the draw ceremony, that is scheduled to take place at the event at Dubai Sports Council on Tuesday.
China will have names like Zhao Junpeng, who was part of China’s gold medal winning team at 2019 edition, and Huang Dong Ping, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist. Japan, meanwhile, will look up to world no. 7 Kodai Naraoka, the five-time medallists at World Junior Championships, and mixed doubles Olympic medallist Arisa Higashino.
Meanwhile, Indonesia and Malaysia are seeded third and fourth in the Championships. While Indonesia will rest their hopes on Olympics medallist and world no. 2 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, the three times gold medallists at Asian Team Championships, while Malaysia will be led by their star doubles pair Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia.
Two-time Olympian P.V. Sindhu and H.S. Prannoy, the world no. 9, will lead a strong Indian squad hoping to recreate the magic of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
For the hosts UAE, a young and energetic team would be looking to make a mark in front of home fans.
Noura Aljasmi, President of the UAE Badminton Federation remarked, “The UAE has significantly consolidated its place as a leading sports hub and this time, we are honoured and thrilled to host the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship. We are already overwhelmed with the response we have been getting until now, which is why we are expecting a big crowd. All the participating nations are thrilled, as are we. My best wishes to the UAE Badminton team.”
Among other big names, Singapore will have eighth ranked Loh Kean Yew, the former world champion, while world no. 5 Chou Tien Chen will be among the ones to watch out for in Chinese Taipei team.
“We are proud to have the first Badminton Asia major event in the West Asia region. Having the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship 2023 held in Dubai will generate new excitements within our participating members, especially the ones from the GCC. More importantly, this event will be a significant contribution to the growth of badminton in the West Asia region. This is the first time UAE is hosting the Badminton Asia Championships, which holds significance as it acts as the qualifying window to the prestigious Olympics Games” said Badminton Asia President Anton Subowo.
The event also gives players the opportunity to qualify for world badminton championships like Sudirman Cup, Thomas and Uber Cups and other major tournaments.
“The Badminton Asia Championships are one of the prestigious events and we are honoured to play the hosts of the Dubai edition in 2023, which is also for the first time in the Middle East. The Dubai edition is also set to open a new chapter that will see growth in fan-base and the sport’s popularity in the region,” said Dr. Sathya Menon, CEO Beyond Boundaries.
“Our team has put in a lot of effort in all the sectors and are ready to deliver a world-class experience to the visiting teams and officials. As top nations are sending strong contingents, fans should be able to witness electrifying matches in the event. We wish all the very best to all the teams.”
The event will have men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, which will open with group matches on February 14 followed by the knockout stage. The finals will be played on Feb. 19, 2023.
