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Nguyen Thuy Linh is seeded as No.1 for the first time in the tournament. |
She has etched her name into the nation's badminton history as the first female player to be seeded as No.1 in the Vietnam Open Badminton Tournament.
During the press conference this morning, the organizers of the 2023 Yonex Sunrise Vietnam Open Badminton Tournament announced that the event will take place from September 12 to 17 at the Nguyen Du Gymnasium and Sports Complex in Ho Chi Minh City. The tournament will feature 283 players from 23 countries and territories participating in five categories: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
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At the press conference |
A notable change in this year's tournament is the decision by the organizers to raise the total prize money from US$75,000 to $100,000 in accordance with the Badminton World Federation regulations for BWF Tour Super 100 events. Hence, the men's singles champion will be awarded $7,650, marking the highest prize amount ever granted in the history of this competition.
The host country, Vietnam, boasts a contingent of 31 players, comprising 17 males and 14 females. However, due to their low global rankings, only Le Duc Phat and Nguyen Hai Dang have secured spots in the main draw of the men's singles. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thuy Linh, Vu Thi Trang, and Vu Thi Anh Thu have successfully earned places in the main draw of the women's singles. Even the seasoned veteran, Nguyen Tien Minh, who recently clinched the national championship at the age of 40, is required to participate in the qualification rounds due to his lower BWF ranking resulting from less international competition engagement in recent times.
The greatest hope for Vietnamese badminton in this year's tournament is the defending champion, Nguyen Thuy Linh. Her rise to the 27th position in the world rankings and her top ranking in the tournament have earned her considerable recognition from experts, increasing expectations for her title defense. Furthermore, the women's singles field this year is not particularly formidable, with the second seed, Gunji (Japan), ranked 50th, and all other players positioned outside the top 50.
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Tien Minh participates in the Vietnam Open from the qualification rounds for the first time. |
However, it is a stroke of bad luck for Vietnamese badminton as Thuy Linh is scheduled to face her compatriot, Vu Thi Trang, in the very first match of the tournament. Adding to the complexity, the young player Vu Thi Anh Thu is also drawn in the same bracket as her two senior teammates. If Anh Thu prevails against Chen Su Yu (Taiwan – China), she will confront the victor of the Vu Thi Trang and Nguyen Thuy Linh match. It presents an unfavorable situation for Vietnamese badminton, as its top three female players in the tournament must compete in the early stages. As a consequence, their chances to gain international exposure and accumulate BWF ranking points are significantly reduced.
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Nguyen Thuy Linh is expected to defend her championship. |
Additionally, in the men's singles event, Le Duc Phat has been granted a first-round bye and is poised to potentially meet Nguyen Hai Dang in the second round should the player from HCMC prevail against Kuo Kuan Lin (Taiwan – China) in the opening match.
Information unveiled during the press conference also disclosed that, besides live television broadcasts on HTV, the organizers secured approval from the Badminton World Federation to live stream matches on registered social media platforms.
