Every year I go to all England in Birmingham to enjoy the great quality of the game. However, I am curious about tournaments in the core country badminton – Asia – and this year I have increased my fandom to a new level. Returned from my job, grabbed my case and filled a few long -term ambitions.
This is my personal, albeit a short report on my visit to an S750 in Singapore and the Indonesia Open (S1000) with some comparisons with all England. Let’s be honest; Few people go on vacation in Birmingham UK.
All England offers fans the opportunity to watch the best players who fight one of the most prestigious titles in badminton. However, the immense queues and the lack of selection of food can be frustrating. It can also cost a lot to visit, so I strived to find out how other tournaments meet these challenges.
Kff Singapore Badminton Open 2024
We just have to look at the tournament winners to see that many athletes with real gold medal candidates are for this year’s Olympic Games. The Chinese team dominated, and the resuscitation of Shi Yuqi was a pleasure to watch. It was the focus of letting the games speak for themselves; In contrast to AE, there was little “cheerleading” with spectators or DJs. The whole week was well known, professionally managed M&GS with a variety of players, and it was a real thrill to take part.
Public transport to the stadium was excellent – cheap, clean and efficient – and I arrived relaxed and happy. Safety checks were thorough, but quickly because many officers were on duty.
Singapore is proud of the high quality of his drinking water and while the audience may not take water to the stadium in the stadium, but there are freely used drinking fountain to fill their own bottle inside. I thought this was brilliant innovation. The food to be sold inside was not particularly inspiring, especially in the context of the quality/cheapness of food in the shopping centers in Singapore.
I really enjoyed the whole tournament and would like to go again one day. I had a season ticket that covered the entry for 6 days. It was simply online from Great Britain and cost 154 US dollars, which is about 90 GBP. An absolute bargain !!
Kapal API Indonesia Open 2024
I stepped through the curtain into the arena and was made by a pure ‘wow!’ Wait when I realized that I was only about 5 meters from the players on Court 2 of me. In the legendary Istora has been a dream of mine for some time, and this year I finally made it. Despite some withdrawals, I enjoyed watching a SE jung, Shi Yuqi, Anders Antonsen et al. The highlight for me was the dramatic conflict between Man Wei Chong/Kai Wun Tea & Lu Ching Yao/Yang Po Han.
It is surprising that there was a better overall performance of home players and nobody managed to contest a final. This contributed to the low atmosphere with the controversy by ticket prices. In view of the context of an average local wage, the ticket prices are sky high and leave a few empty seats behind. The pricing passionate, knowledgeable fans feels like a goal. I was disappointed that the VIP category did not guarantee a certain seat.
As in Singapore, I used the MRI to get into the arena – it was cheap, cool and clean. While the additional layer of the bureaucracy with bracelets and passport tests was an trouble, it did not mean queue to reach the QF meetings after the prayer break on Friday. The employees and volunteers were friendly and helpful and the security was efficient.
The IO food stations were the best arena that I was this year. There were not only a variety of inexpensive foods, but also huge screens let me watch the action while eating.
I would have the chance to see badminton again in Jakarta. As in Singapore, there was no distractions from the lawsuit to court and I liked this experience. I think that was probably the last time that the tournament will take place in this stadium. It was easy to buy a ticket online from Great Britain, and a VIP -QF -Ticket (i.e. one day) was 10,50000 RP, i.e. approx. £ 52.
snack
My original plan was to watch Tai Tzu Ying in both tournaments, but she retired due to an injury. Nevertheless, I had the best time and wonder when I could visit again. Maybe add in Malaysia. It feels like the end of an era. Some of our favorites will retire this year and some already have it. A badminton scene without Kevin & Marcus or TY is hard to imagine. Here are happy memories and new adventures in the world of badminton.
Many thanks to everyone who encouraged me to visit and shared their top tips. Special mentions to @Ttyings, Ninuk and Veronica.
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Amanda bloom all rights reserved
