The 2023 Al Sharif Group Bahrain International Challenge Badminton Tournament, organized by Bahrain Kelaliyah Samajam (BKS) under the auspices of Bahrain Badminton and Squash Federation (BBSF), will be held on November 21st. The organizing committee announced at a press conference that the event will be held at BKS from now until the 26th. Yesterday’s conference.
The International Challenge is a Level 3 tournament sanctioned by Badminton Asia, the continent’s governing body for the sport, and regularly features the top 50 players in the world rankings.
Nearly 250 athletes from 32 countries, from Canada to Algeria, have registered for the tournament. Europe, Africa, North America, and Asia are all represented. This year’s edition also saw the participation of international badminton stalwarts players from China and Japan for the first time.
Senior umpire Gaurav Khanna of the Badminton World Federation (BWF – the sport’s global governing body) will officiate the tournament. Khanna, who is currently the coach of the Indian para-badminton team, was awarded the prestigious Dronacharya Award, the highest national honor for Indian coaches.
Last year’s tournament was successfully live-streamed throughout on YouTube, reaching approximately 300,000 viewers from around the world, and this year’s tournament will also be live-streamed on the same website. And, just like last year, he will have over 5,000 spectators in the stands watching all the action unfold live.
This year’s tournament will attract exciting talent from around the world. The top seeds in men’s singles are Pablo Abian and Luis Enrique, both from Spain, ranked 65th and 66th, respectively. India’s third-seeded Sankar Subramanian will be a crowd favorite.Bahrain number one Adnan Ebrahim also qualified for the qualifying round.
The top seed in women’s singles is returning champion Malavika Bansod. Jenila Stadelmann from Switzerland is sure to captivate the audience as well.
Ireland’s top seeds Paul Reynolds and Joshua McGee will be competing in the men’s doubles for the first time, as well as entries from countries including China, Algeria, Japan and Sri Lanka.
The top seeds in women’s doubles are Bulgaria’s Gabriela Stoeva and Stephanie Stoeva, while China’s pair of Wang Zimeng and Kee Unding are also sure to attract attention.
In mixed doubles, India will have a strong presence with the famous Sikki Reddy teaming up with Sumeeth Reddy and Aadhya Valiyas and Satish Karunakaran. The top seeds are British pair Jenny Mears and Gregory Mears.
The tournament will be held at BKS Diamond Jubilee Hall. Apart from title sponsor Al Sharif Group, other major sponsors include JTJ and TEFCO.
Admission is free.