Every year I go to the All England in Birmingham to enjoy the excellent quality of play. However, I have long been curious about tournaments that take place in the heart of badminton – Asia – so this year I took my following to a new level; I quit my job, packed my suitcase and fulfilled some long-held ambitions.
This is my personal, albeit short, report on my visit to Singapore on an S750 and the Indonesia Open (S1000) with a few comparisons to the All England. Let’s face it; Few people vacation in Birmingham, UK.
The All England offers fans the opportunity to watch the best players compete for one of the most prestigious titles in badminton. Still, the huge entry lines and lack of food choices can be frustrating. Participation can also cost a lot of money, so I was keen to find out how other tournaments overcome these challenges.
KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2024
You only have to look at the tournament winners to see that there were many athletes who are real gold medal contenders for this year’s Olympics. The Chinese team was dominant and it was a joy to watch SHI YuQi’s resurgence. The emphasis was on letting the games speak for themselves; In contrast to the AE, there was hardly any “cheerleading” with spectators or DJs. There were well advertised, professionally managed M&Gs all week with a diverse range 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. Security checks were thorough but quick as there were many officers on duty.
Singapore prides itself on the high quality of its drinking water. While spectators are not allowed to bring bottled water into the stadium, there are free drinking fountains where you can refill your own bottle. I thought this was a brilliant innovation. The food for sale therein was not particularly inspiring, especially in the context of the quality/cheapness of food in Singapore’s malls.
I really enjoyed the whole tournament and would love to take part again one day. I had a season ticket which included entry for 6 days. It was easy to buy online in the UK and cost 154 SD dollars, which is around £90. An absolute bargain!!
Indonesian Fireboat Open 2024
As I walked through the curtain into the arena, I was greeted with a pure “Wow!” met. moment when I realized I was standing only about 5 meters away from the players in second place. Visiting the legendary Istora has been a dream of mine for some time and this year I finally did it. Despite some withdrawal symptoms, I enjoyed watching AN Se Young, SHI YuQi, Anders Antonsen and others. The highlight for me was the dramatic fight between MAN Wei Chong/Kai Wun TEE and LU Ching Yao/YANG Po Han.
It’s surprising that the home players didn’t perform better overall and in fact none made it to the final. This, coupled with the controversy over ticket prices, contributed to the relaxed atmosphere. Given an average local wage, ticket prices are sky-high, leaving some seats vacant. Pricing passionate, knowledgeable fans feels like an own goal. I was disappointed that the VIP category did not guarantee a specific seat.
Like in Singapore, I used the MRT to get to the arena – it was cheap, cool and clean. While the additional bureaucracy of wristbands and passport checks was arduous, arriving to QF sessions after the Friday prayer break meant there were no queues. The staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful and security was efficient.
The aid stations at IO were the best of any arena I’ve been to this year. Not only was there a wide selection of reasonably priced food, but there were also huge screens on which I could watch what was happening as I ate.
I would take the chance to watch badminton again in Jakarta. As in Singapore, there were no distractions from the action on the pitch and I enjoyed the experience. I think that was probably the last time the tournament was played in this stadium. It was easy to buy a ticket online in the UK and a VIP QF ticket (i.e. one day) cost RP1050000, so around £52.
Takeaways
My original plan was to watch TAI Tzu Ying at both tournaments, but she pulled out due to injury. Still, I had the best time and am already wondering when I could come back; maybe add in Malaysia too. It’s starting to feel like the end of an era. Some of our favorites are retiring this year, and some have already done so. It’s hard to imagine a badminton scene without Kevin & Marcus or TTY. Here’s to great memories and new adventures in the world of badminton.
Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to visit and shared their best tips. Special mention goes to @ttyings, Ninuk and Veronica.
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