Badminton: World champion Ratchanok Inthanon coming for OUE Singapore Open

World champion badminton player Ratchanok Inthanon will play in next month's OUE Singapore Open.

The 19-year-old Thai will headline a strong contingent of 20 players from the kingdom that includes two-time Singapore Open winner Boonsak Ponsana (world No.6).

Ratchanok, currently ranked third in the world, became the youngest-ever singles world champion when she won at World Championships in Guangzhou last year at the age of 18.

She said: "Last year was a good year for me. I'm looking forward to compete in Singapore and this is also a good opportunity for me to assess our opponents ahead of the Uber Cup in May."

Ratchanok's appearance will be a major boost for Singapore's marquee badminton tournament as world No.1 Lee Chong Wei has also confirmed his participation.

The OUE Singapore Open will be played from April 8-13 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Singapore's doubles pair of Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari, ranked 21st in the world, will also be taking part. Other local participants include Derek Wong (world No. 50) and Gu Juan (world No. 31).

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.