SINGAPORE - Badminton fans are set for a treat in December when the stars of yesteryear will grace courts in Singapore again.
The Brave Sword International Team Challenge 2022, a Masters series organised by Brave Sword Badminton Academy and sanctioned by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA), will see Indonesian 2016 Olympic gold medallist and four-time mixed doubles world champion Liliyana Natsir headline the Dec 2-4 event at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The tournament, which involves at least 19 teams from regional giants like Indonesia and Malaysia so far, will also feature other stars such as 1992 Barcelona Olympics silver medallist Eddy Hartono, two-time world championships silver medallist Yoo Yeon-seong and former doubles world No. 1 Tan Boon Heong.
Indonesian legends Susi Susanti and Alan Budi Kusuma, who were both gold medallists at the 1992 Olympics, will also be in the Republic as the event’s guests of honour.
This is the first time that an international Masters event is being held in the Republic.
Brave Sword founder Jose Da Rosa Junior believes those in the Masters category are often overlooked.
Having such a tournament is also significant for the 57-year-old, who just turned professional a month ago after picking up badminton at the age of 41.
He said: “I have a feeling that in many countries, just like in Singapore, the focus and resources have been put mostly in the elite players and youth development.
“Of course, these categories are of utmost importance, but the Master group for players from the age of 35 all the way to the 70s and 80s should not be omitted.
“So with this in mind, we thought about hosting a series of badminton events to bring more people from the Master groups to the sport.”
He added that Brave Sword will be holding another Masters singles event in March 2023.
SBA deputy president Chan Wing Kai believes that such competitions will only help grow interest in the sport here, regardless of age.
Currently, he said more than 200,000 players engage in the sport “on a very active basis”.
At the moment, the Singapore Swimming Club stages the Badminton Inter-Club Master League, but that is a local tournament.
Chan said: “This is a good initiative because we have the Singapore Badminton Open but that’s really for the younger players.
“So Masters is an area that we can explore further and see how we can create a Masters level competition. This is a really good start.”
