Yonex Canada Open Grand Prix Gold Dates: 7/16/2013 to 7/21/2013 Venue: The Richmond Olympic Oval, BC. Tournament Official website: http://www.canadaopen.ca/ Tournamentsoftware link for draws, schedules, results and LiveScore: http://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=A5448760-264A-41D8-BB95-D4EBDA10EEE9 Schedule and Tickets link: http://canadaopen.ca/schedule Volunteer Recruitment has begun: http://www.canadaopen.ca/node/66 Current time in Richmond, BC http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=1088
This thread is perhaps a little premature. There are no listed entrants yet on the BWF website link. However the tickets are for sale. Seems like reasonable prices for world-class badminton. And they are begging for volunteers. No doubt local badminton fans will be eager to help out. @ madbad : Consider volunteering for the 'player hospitality' section. Maybe you'll get assigned to be 'hospitable' to the Korean women's contingent. (@ Canada Open organizers: Do not under any circumstance assign madbad to the Korean women's contingent!)
Player list will be released this Friday June 21st. Volunteers get to attend Tues/Wed sessions for free as well as food/snacks/drinks during volunteer shift. Of course, the biggest perk is being able to get up close to your favourite players
Meanwhile, some of Team Canada prepare by contesting the finals at this tournament... 2013 Ottawa Canadian International Challenge Saturday, June 29, 2013 [TABLE="class: ruler matches"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD]1. [/TD] [TD]Starting at 12:00 PM [/TD] [TD]WD [/TD] [TD="align: right"][TABLE="align: right"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"]Eva Lee [1] [/TD] [TD][USA] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: right"]Paula Lynn Obanana [/TD] [TD][USA] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD]- [/TD] [TD][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [TD]Alex Bruce [/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [TD]Phyllis Chan [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD][/TD] [TD]2. [/TD] [TD]Followed by [/TD] [TD]WS [/TD] [TD="align: right"][TABLE="align: right"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"]Michelle Li [3] [/TD] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD]- [/TD] [TD][TABLE] [TR] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [TD]Christin Tsai [2] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="align: right"][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD][/TD] [TD]3. [/TD] [TD]Followed by [/TD] [TD]MS [/TD] [TD="align: right"][TABLE="align: right"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"]Eric Pang [1] [/TD] [TD][NED] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD]- [/TD] [TD][TABLE] [TR] [TD][DEN] [/TD] [TD]Joachim Persson [3] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="align: right"][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD][/TD] [TD]4. [/TD] [TD]Followed by [/TD] [TD]MD [/TD] [TD="align: right"][TABLE="align: right"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"]Hsu Jui Ting [/TD] [TD][TPE] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: right"]Jen Chieh Tien [/TD] [TD][TPE] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD]- [/TD] [TD][TABLE] [TR] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [TD]Adrian Liu [2] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [TD]Derrick Ng [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="align: right"][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #fdfdfd"] [TD][/TD] [TD]5. [/TD] [TD]Followed by [/TD] [TD]XD [/TD] [TD="align: right"][TABLE="align: right"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"]Nathan Robertson [/TD] [TD][ENG] [/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"]Jenny Wallwork [/TD] [TD][ENG] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD]- [/TD] [TD][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [TD]Toby Ng [/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #fdfdfd"] [TD][CAN] [/TD] [TD]Alex Bruce [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
Some observations before the Canada Open gets underway... Michelle Li is not seeded in the WS. The top 2 WS seeds are Nichaon and Sapsiree from Thailand (Fidget will be pleased!) Zhang Beiwen will be gracing the occasion. Great to see Malvinne AV Alcala and her kid brother Mark playing so many GP/GPG tournaments all over the place! This bodes well for the future of badminton in the Philippines. These 2 players are the shining hope for their country over the next few years. The Japan WS contingent is there in strength. Yuka Kusunose will be looking to continue where she left off last week! Toby is playing MS! Toby is playing MD! Toby is playing XD! Sadly, Toby will be playing against his pal ol' Nick in Round 1 of MS. Henri Hurskainen is in town -not for the hockey, but for the Badminton, Please! Powerhouse China is notably absent from MS and WS. Their new MD pair of Yilv/Ningyi are in the Qualifications, though. And in the WD, an interesting pairing -Yi Tai of China partners Christin Tsai of Canada! This must be a first of sorts.... And in the XD, Christin continues her eclectic ways by partnering Jen Chieh Tien of TPE. A whole bunch of Aussies and Kiwis have decided to escape the *debilitating winter* down under to the *balmy summer* of Vancouver. Good move! Some familiar names are Ross Smith (missing Warfe?) Susannah Leydon-Davis (who pairs sibling Oliver in XD as well), Renuga Veeran and Joe Wu. But look out for Thai pair Maneepong/Sapsiree -not seeded, but that's unlikely to stop them...
As Cobalt said, BCer v BCer [TABLE="class: ruler matches, width: 0"] [TR="bgcolor: #FDFDFD"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]1:30 PM[/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"]MS[/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"][TABLE="width: 0"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]Nicholas Bonkowsky[/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]-[/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][TABLE="width: 0"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Toby Ng[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
As cobalt wrote, there are a number of mixed-country pairings in the 2013 Canada Open. That rather befits a tournament held in a country comprised of various immigrants. In addition to Christin Tsai's extra-territorial partners, other examples include: MD - Juergen Koch and Christian Lind Thomsen (Austria-Denmark) XD - Nicholas Bonkowsy and Ha Luong (Trinidad & Tobago - Canada) WD - Laura Choinet and Karyn Velez (France and USA) (*that last one might be for you inveterate girl-watchers out there)
So, is madbad the (un)official photographer this time around? Is he the Master of Volunteers, directing 200+ eager beavers in controlled commotion? Is he the silent, unseen hand that provides resuscitation and replenishment before all others to the Korean team (well, one half of the Korean team, at least)? Only one person can answer all of the above....
Not devasted, more like not present. Haven't really had time to think much about it. The field doesn't seem as attractive compared to previous years.
In that case, it is we who will feel devastated! :crying: Fidget makes an important point about many trans-national pairings. I just spotted a few more. Jacky Ruan (Canada) and Yi Tai (China); Koen Ridder (Netherlands) and Laura Choinet (France). A pity the Koreans couldn't make a contribution to this mosaic...
There are still a few interesting entries at this tournament. Kento Momota just withdrew though. There's Huang Yaqiong who I think will be a top Chinese player in a few more years. Chun Hei Lee who won MD at WJC last year, I think will be in for another easy title in Mixed. Maneepong Jongjit will surely make the crowd go wild with his play, especially with Sapsiree in Mixed. I remember one match where Sapsiree was blocking between her legs, and behind her back twice and won the rally, and one where Maneepong fell to the ground and blocked 3 smashes and won the point as well. WS will have some good matches with some good entries from Thailand, JPN and HKG. I think there will still be quite a number of good matches to watch. The draws seems a bit lopsided though.
More BCers at the Canadian Open... Another young BCer from Canada is also in the main draw -Brad Mear, playing doubles with Jason Wong. And there is Derrick Ng as well; but apparently concentrating only on doubles, unlike adventurous Toby.
