.jpg "China's Li Xuerui (pictured) will be among the stars to headline the US$300,000 OUE Singapore Open badminton championships from April 8 to 13 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Photo courtesy of the Singapore Badminton Association.")
SINGAPORE – World badminton powerhouse China have confirmed a strong line-up for the upcoming US$300,000 OUE Singapore Open to be held at the 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium from Apr 8 to 13.
Ahead of the closing deadline for registration on March 4, China was the first foreign country to confirm its participation for the tournament, which will be the fifth-stop in this year’s MetLife Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championship Superseries.
Among the star-studded field from China will be Chinese shuttlers like current world No 1 and reigning Olympic women’s singles champion Li Xuerui and world No 2 Wang Yi Han.
Other notable names for the OUE Singapore Open include last month’s Malaysia Open Premier SuperSeries’ mixed doubles winning pair of Xu Chen and Ma Jin. Asia Championships singles’ winner, Du Pengyu, and London Olympic men’s doubles gold medallist Cai Yun who will partner compatriot Lu Kai for the first time.
It is understood that China will be using the OUE Singapore Open as part of their preparation for the defence of their Thomas Cup and Uber Cup titles in New Delhi from May 18 to 25.
Said China’s women’s singles head coach Chen Jin: “I hope the China team can perform well in Singapore, as achieving good results will definitely boost our players’ confidence before a major tournament.”
