On Tuesday, 12 March 2019, Swiss Badminton held a one of a kind press event in Engelberg on the starting day of the YONEX Swiss Open, almost half a year before the World Championships. Both events will be held in the Sankt Jakobshalle Basel.
For once, it was not Bollywood stars that appeared in front of the cameras on Mt. Titlis, but some of the best Indian and Swiss badminton players who rounded off the media conference with a spectacular show match.
Indian-Swiss double as a show element
On the terrace of Mt. Titlis as well as in an even more spectacular manner on the TITLIS Cliff Walk, Switzerland's number 1 Sabrina Jaquet and India's top players Kashyap Parupalli and Sai Praneeth B. held a badminton exhibition against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alps.
"It was a unique experience and a lot of fun to be able to play badminton in one of the most spectacular Bollywood venues," says Parupalli, who got married to fellow shuttler Saina Nehwal last December.
Swiss opponent, Sabrina Jaquet (who lives in the Swiss city of Bielern), as world number 53 and European bronze medallist in 2017 is the most successful Swiss shuttler and feels ready for the World Championships on home soil:
”It will be a very special feeling to play the World Championships in front of my home crowd”, said the 31-year-old, who holds a total of 29 Swiss championship titles and has won two international tournaments.
The Indian badminton player Sai Praneeth B. (world number 22) and the Swiss para-athlete Karin Suter-Erath (world number 4) were also in action on top of the summit in the Swiss alps.
"We are very pleased that this event has met with such great interest and that badminton and these two upcoming major events have been given the stage they deserve," sums up Robbert de Kock, President of Swiss Badminton.
World Championships before the World Championships and para-llel Worlds as a premier
Robbert de Kock and Charles A. Keller (President/CEO of the Basel 2019 World Championships) informed the media, including ten journalists who came from India, about the new developments in badminton in Switzerland and, of course, about the two major events.
For the first time in the history of badminton, two World Championships (World Championships and Para World Championships) will take place simultaneously in the same hall complex (St. Jakobshalle Basel).
"Only thanks to the LOC's many years of experience is something like this possible," explains Charles Keller, who expects between 30,000 and 40,000 spectators from all over Europe and 500 athletes from 50 nations to attend the World Championships.
The organizers expect over 150 Swiss and foreign media representatives to report on the two major events, with live broadcasts in around 100 countries guaranteed for seven days. They are also ready for the YONEX Swiss Open, which began on Tuesday.
"Thanks to the strong field of participants, we can certainly talk about the "World Champs before the World Champs", Keller continued.
Accreditation Basel 2019
Media professionals can get an accreditation for the badminton world championships (18-25 August 2019) until the 19 June 2019 here
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Julia Küchler, Communications Manager at Swiss Badminton (+41 31 352 72 55 or jkuechler@swiss-badminton.ch).
Schedule Yonex YONEX Swiss Open
Tue, 12. March 2019: Qualification, 1st round Mixed
Wed, 13. March 2019: Round of 32
Thu, 14. March 2019: Round of 16
Fri, 15. March 2019: Quarter-finals
Sat, 16. March 2019: Semifinals
Sun, 17. March 2019: Finals
Further information:
World Championships 2019
YONEX Swiss Open 2019
Swiss Badminton
Badminton World Federation
Engelberg-Titlis
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