The first International Challenge event which counts for the Race to Rio 2016 will be held in Madrid from 21st to 24th May. More than 250 players will try to collect important world ranking points. In total 279 players from 39 countries will take part in the tournament which celebrates its 28th edition. A great participation - close to the historical event’s record.

Ahead of all Spanish players Beatriz Corrales is the number one seed in the women’s singles. Corrales, champion in 2013 when she beat her country women and eventual world champion Carolina Marin, will try to win on home soil in order to fulfill her Olympic Dream. Due to the presence of Marin in the world ranking top-16, Corrales has to enter the top-16 of the world ranking at the end of the Olympic qualifying period for being able to qualify as second Spanish player. Madrid, her home town, could be her first success which could give her Rio 2016 dream a big boost.

Other great players in the women’s singles draw are Bulgarians Linda Zetchiri and Petya Nedelcheva and the Russians Natalia Perminova and Ksenia Polikarpova. Young players who already achieved some good results on the international stage are Clara Azurmendi and Isabel Fernandez (Spain) and the Danes Mia Blichfeldt and Julie Dawall-Jakobsen.

Title holder Joachim Persson is the top seed

The men’s singles event will see 108 players to take part. Denmark’s Joachim Persson, a former top 10 player, Ville Lång, Petr Koukal, Henri Hurskainen or the Spanish number one shuttler, Pablo Abian are the stars of the men’s singles category. But we have to include some other names such as Navickas, Must, Merrilees, Domke or Zavadsky. They are all capable of taking home the trophy.

Great battles are expected in the doubles events as well. It could be  an all-Polish affair between Wacha-Cwalina and Moren-Skudlarczyk in the men’s doubles. The Stoeva’s sisters, 17th in the world rankings, are the hot favourites in the women’s doubles. They will fight against a Danish Army led  by Lena Grebak-Maria Helsbøl.

Click here for the results of the 2015 Spanish International.
Click here for all previous champions of the tournament.

Photos by BadmintonPhoto.