Dubai: The 43rd edition of the India Club UAE Open Badminton Tournament this year is scheduled to commence from Tuesday, 17th March, 2020 at India Club, Dubai. The tournament started in the year 1978.
The tournament is open to all the players from the UAE as well as from abroad. There is no restriction on players from outside the UAE to participate at their own will but they will have to comply with the tournament schedule.
The last 4 editions of India club UAE Open Badminton have been given Four-Star Rating in the Sports Events Ranking System by Dubai Sports Council.
The highlights of the tournament this year is introducing 2 new events. (1) Emirati Junior Badminton Tournament (2) Air Badminton.
Emirati Junior Badminton Tournament: Being introduced for the first time, Emirati Junior Badminton Tournament will provide a platform for the Emirati Juniors to show their skills in badminton. There are 8 categories in this event and no entry fees are being charged to encourage participation.
Bharat Chachara (CEO, India Club), Sunil Singh (Board of Trustee & Head of the Badminton Tournament Committee), Suresh Menon (Sports Secretary, India Club ), & Girish Chand (Badminton Tournament Committee Member).
Jaffar Ebrahim (Dubai Badminton Development Manager, BWF)Bharat Chachara (CEO, India Club), Sunil Singh (Board of Trustee & Head of the Badminton Tournament Committee), Suresh Menon (Sports Secretary, India Club ), & Girish Chand (Badminton Tournament Committee Member), Ravi B M (Li-Ing)
Air Badminton:
Air Badminton is outdoor badminton. It was introduced by the BWF (Badminton World Federation) in May 2019. It uses existing badminton rackets with the newly designed shuttlecock. This new outdoor shuttlecock has been developed to provide more stability and wind resistance. It also boasts increased durability.
The ultimate aim of Air Badminton is to open up the sport to people of all ages and abilities. This will be achieved by enabling badminton to be played on a variety of surfaces, could be played on hard, grass and sand surfaces in parks. It’s also perfect for gardens, streets, playgrounds, and even beaches. In the 1st edition, we are having 6 categories in this event.
There are a total of 51 categories in this tournament. India club has streamlined the age categories based on the Badminton World Federation regulations which are followed across the UAE and the region.
The finals of the tournament are scheduled for Friday, 17th April 2020. Cash Prizes, Trophies, Air Tickets, and Gift Hampers amounting to around AED 65,000/- will be the highlight of the prestigious “43rd India Club UAE Open Badminton Tournament 2020” presented by Friends Provident International.
Players in the Men, Ladies, Boys & Girls categories will compete for top honors in the following 37 categories:
| S. No. | Events | Categories |
| 1 | Girls Singles | Under 9 Yrs |
| 2 | Boys Singles | Under 9 Yrs |
| 3 | Girls Singles | Under 11 Yrs |
| 4 | Boys Singles | Under 11 Yrs |
| 5 | Boys Doubles | Under 11 Yrs |
| 6 | Girls Doubles | Under 11 Yrs |
| 7 | Girls Singles | Under 13 Yrs |
| 8 | Boys Singles | Under 13 Yrs |
| 9 | Boys Doubles | Under 13 Yrs |
| 10 | Girls Doubles | Under 13 Yrs |
| 11 | Girls Singles | Under 15 Yrs |
| 12 | Boys Singles | Under 15 Yrs |
| 13 | Boys Doubles | Under 15 Yrs |
| 14 | Girls Doubles | Under 15 Yrs |
| 15 | Girls Singles | Under 17 Yrs |
| 16 | Boys Singles | Under 17 Yrs |
| 17 | Girls Doubles | Under 17 Yrs |
| 18 | Boys Doubles | Under 17 Yrs |
| 19 | Boys Singles | Under 19 Yrs |
| 20 | Girls Singles | Under 19 Yrs |
| 21 | Mixed Doubles | Under 19 Yrs |
| 22 | Women’s Singles | |
| 23 | Women’s Doubles | |
| 24 | Women’s Doubles | Above 35 Years |
| 25 | Men Singles | |
| 26 | Men Doubles | |
| 27 | Mixed Doubles | |
| 28 | Masters Singles | Above 40 Years |
| 29 | Masters Doubles | Above 40 Years |
| 30 | Masters Mix Doubles | Above 40 Years |
| 31 | Veterans Singles | Above 45 Years |
| 32 | Veterans Doubles | Above 45 Years |
| 33 | Veterans Mix Doubles | Above 45 Years |
| 34 | Veterans Doubles | Above 50 Years |
| 35 | Super Veterans Doubles | Above 55 Years |
| 36 | Super Senior Veterans Doubles | Above 60 Years |
| 37 | Combined Age-75 years & Above | Minimum of 30 years |
Under Air Badminton Men & Ladies categories will compete for top honors in the following 6 categories:
| S. No. | Events |
| 1 | Men’s Singles |
| 2 | Men’s Doubles |
| 3 | Men’s Triple |
| 4 | Ladies Singles |
| 5 | Ladies Doubles |
| 6 | Ladies Triple |
Under Emirati Tournament Boys & Girls categories will compete for top honors in the following 8 categories:
| S. No. | Events | Categories |
| 1 | Girls Singles | Under 12 Yrs |
| 2 | Boys Singles | Under 12 Yrs |
| 3 | Girls Singles | Under 14 Yrs |
| 4 | Boys Singles | Under 14 Yrs |
| 5 | Girls Singles | Under 16 Yrs |
| 6 | Boys Singles | Under 16 Yrs |
| 7 | Girls Singles | Under 18 Yrs |
| 8 | Boys Singles | Under 18 Yrs |
All the matches will be played in line with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Rules & Regulations.
As in the past, the Tournament is expected to attract a large number of players of different nationalities from across the world.
As part of India Club’s drive towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as in the previous years, exhibition matches will be conducted for the Special Needs Children / Individuals. Also, invitations will be sent to the “SNF Center” and “Smart Life” NGO of Labour camps seeking participation. Mementos and Certificates will be awarded to all the participants in the Special Needs & Blue Collar Labour categories.
All the matches in 3 courts will be streamed Live on India Club YouTube channel.
As in the past, each player will be restricted to participate only in three events in the general category. This is basically to give the opportunity for more players to make it to the top.
The 42nd UAE Open Badminton was supported by: –
Friends Provident International, Li-Ning, Britannia, Nikon, Carrera Sunglasses, Super Vision Opticals, Blue Bell Shipping Company, Well Coat Paints, Air India, Aarushi Designs, Polaroid Sunglasses & SUNO 1024
Entry forms are available on www.tournamentsoftware.com. The link is also available on the India Club website www.indiaclubdubai.com. NO Entry forms will be accepted via Fax or email (scanned copy) or in person. All participants are requested to use on-line entry forms only. Payment for the entries submitted should be made by Tuesday, 10th March 2020.
The last date for receiving entries will be Tuesday, 10th March 2020. For further information/support please contact Club Reception on telephone no. +9714 – 3371112 or email: sports@indiaclubdubai.com
Last year, Over 700 entries were registered in the 35 categories. Expat players from 14 countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Philippines, Qatar, Indonesia, South Africa, China, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Bahrain, Malaysia, Denmark & Singapore participated in the tournament.
The Badminton Organizing Committee is being headed by Mr. Sunil Singh and comprises of the club’s sports secretary Mr. Suresh Menon along with Mr. Girish Chand and Mr. Wales Thomas. They will be added by a group of volunteers.
