Dubai: Badminton arrives in Dubai for the first time this week, with the season ending BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals taking place at the Hamdan Sports Complex from 17-21 December.
Only the eight top-ranked players from the BWF Destination Dubai Rankings have earned a place at the tournament, which sees them compete for a share of a US$1million prize pool. To qualify for Dubai the players had to amass points from twelve MetLife BWF World Superseries Tournaments held around the world throughout the year.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the World Superseries Finals are to be staged in Dubai each December until 2017 as part of a four-year partnership, facilitated by Falcon and Associates, with the BWF.
Commenting on the draw today, World Champion Chen Long of China said “This is the highlight of the Series, so I will try my best to win. This really is the peak of all the BWF events.” Chen will meet Korea’s Son Wan Ho, Japan’s Kenichi Tago and Demnark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus in Men’s Singles Group A.
Indian superstar Saina Nehwal has a tough draw, meeting China’s Wang Shixian, Sung Ji Hyun and Bae Yeon Ju, both of Korea in Women’s Singles Group A.
See Below for BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals Draw:
GROUPS:
MEN’S SINGLES:
Group A: Chen Long (China), Son Wan Ho (Korea), Kenichi Tago (Japan), Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (Denmark)
Group B: Jan O Jorgensen (Denmark), Kidambi Srikanth (India), Kento Momota (Japan), Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia)
WOMEN’S SINGLES:
Group A: Wang Shixian (China), Saina Nehwal (India), Sung Ji Hyun (Korea), Bae Yeon Ju (Korea)
Group B: Wang Yihan (China), Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand), Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei), Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
MEN’S DOUBLES:
Group A: Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong (Korea); Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia); Chai Biao/ Hong Wei (China); Ko Sung Hyun/ Shin Baek Choel (Korea)
Group B: Lee Sheng Mu/ Tsai Chia Hsin (Chinese Taipei); Hiroyuki Endo/ Kenichi Hayakawa (Japan); Liu Xiaolong/ Qiu Zihan (China); Mathias Boe/ Carsten Mogensen (Denmark)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES:
Group A: Misaki Matsutomo/ Ayaka Takahashi (Japan); Christinna Pedersen/ Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Denmark); Jung Kyung Eun/ Kim Ha Na (Korea); Chang Ye Na/ Kim So Yeong (Korea)
Group B: Reika Kakiiwa/ Miyuki Maeda (Japan); Tian Qing/ Zhao Yunlei (China); Nitya Krishinda Maheswari/ Greysia Polii (Indonesia); Luo Ying/ Luo Yu (China)
MIXED DOUBLES:
Group A: Zhang Nan/ Zhao Yunlei (China); Ko Sung Hyun/ Kim Ha Na (Korea); Chris Adcock/ Gabrielle Adcock (England); Michael Fuchs/ Birgit Michels (Germany)
Group B: Tontowi Ahmad/ Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia); Sudket Prapakamol/ Saralee Thoungthongkam (Thailand); Joachim Fischer Nielsen/ Christinna Pedersen (Denmark); Liu Cheng/ Bao Yixin (China)
