The season-ending HSBC BWF World Tour Finals returns to Bangkok after the city last hosted it in January 2021.
A total of 24 qualifying events all around the world – including 19 HSBC BWF World Tour tournaments – were played beginning with the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2022 in January this year.
The by-invitation Finals features the top eight players and pairs on the
HSBC BWF World Tour Rankings, with a maximum of two players or pairs per Member Association eligible. The current world champions gain automatic entry.
There have been three withdrawals since the rankings were released, with Pusarla V. Sindhu (women’s singles), Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida (women’s doubles), and Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino (mixed doubles) out with injury.
They have been replaced by Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia), Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Indonesia), and Supak Jomkoh/Supissara Paewsampran (Thailand) respectively – all being the next player or pair in the rankings.
Players will be competing for a total prize pool of US$1.5 million.
Fans can expect action of the highest quality with all the top stars having qualified. Consistency being the most important attribute, the likes of Viktor Axelsen, Chen Yu Fei, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, and Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong ensured their qualification early in the season.
Axelsen will look to sign off on another great season while Chou Tien Chen, Prannoy HS, Jonatan Christie, Kodai Naraoka, Lu Guang Zu, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Loh Kean Yew will attempt to upset his monopoly. The surprise package of the circuit so far has been Naraoka having won the Vietnam Open and finishing runner-up in three tournaments.
In women’s singles, Chen leads the qualifiers followed by Tai Tzu Ying, He Bing Jiao and An Se Young. Ratchanok Intanon and Busanan Ongbamrungphan will ensure local flavour to the competition. Gregoria Mariska Tunjung replaces Pusarla. V Sindhu in the Top 8.
Indonesia booked the top two places in men’s doubles through Alfian/Ardianto and Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan. Two Malaysian pairs, Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi and world champions Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, will also feature in Bangkok.
Jeong Na Eun/Kim Hye Jeong topped the women’s doubles qualifiers. Thai sisters Benyapa Aimsaard/Nuntakarn Aimsaard also had a great year and will be avidly followed by home fans. Indonesia’s Rahayu/Ramadhanti earned a late call up as replacements for Matsuyama/Shida.
In mixed doubles, local interest will focus on Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, who are aiming for a third straight end-of-season crown against top competition like world champions Si Wei/Ya Qiong and Olympic champions Wang Yi Lyu/Huang Dong Ping. Home fans can also cheer for Supak Jomkoh/Supissara Paewsampran (Thailand) who are late replacements for Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino.
The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals will be taking place next week, from Wednesday 7 until Sunday 11 December.