SHENZHEN, (China) Dec 26 : India’s Lakshya Sen will look to end his season on a high when he competes in a star-studded field at the inaugural King Cup International Badminton Open, beginning here Friday.
The 23-year-old from Almora, who ended a title-drought with his triumph at the Syed Modi Super 300 tournament in Lucknow earlier this month, will face some of the best men’s singles players in the world during the three-day event.
The 12th ranked Indian, who narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics after losing the playoff, will meet Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long, ranked 17th, in the first round of the competition, which will feature a total of 10 matches.The tournament, launched by two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China, will see eight men’s singles players vying for top honours.
Paris Olympics silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand and world number 2 Anders Antonsen of Denmark are the highest-ranked players in the competition, which will not offer any ranking points as it is not part of the BWF calendar.
Other notable players include former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore and Frenchman Alex Lanier. China will be represented by two 18-year-olds, Hu Zhe An and Wang Zi Jun. (PTI)
