Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s biggest and one of India’s marquee badminton tournaments, the BWF Odisha Open 2022 is all set to start from tomorrow at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium Cuttack. More than 300 top ranking players from 18 countries will show their mettle at this newest destination of Badminton. This international sporting event is going to add another feather to Odisha’s sporting cap.
A part of the BWF Tour Super 100 series, the Odisha Open 2022 will be played in full conformity to Covid-19 protocols and no viewers will be allowed in the stadium. With just a day left for the inaugural, more than 100 players have already arrived In Odisha and they are being kept in a Bio Bubble like environment. The organizers are conducting RT-PCR tests of all the players and officials involved with the games. The Sports and Youth Services Department of The Odisha Government is giving the arriving players a resounding welcome and has made all arrangements for their stay in the state.
The five day event is the third of the BWF World Tour Super 100 series and the first edition of the BWF Odisha Open being organized by the Badminton Association of Odisha. The tournament will see the best of the players to fight it out in all the categories including Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Four dedicated state of the art Badminton Courts have been readied for this.
Some of India’s best Badminton talent including Saina Nehwal, Parupali Kashyap, Ashwini Ponnappa, Sourabh Verma and Rutuparna Panda will be in action in the five days event. The total prize pool in the tournament is USD 75,000.