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Here’s why the Malaysia Open is a big deal

The much-awaited Malaysia Open that begins today will be more than just badminton.

As some of the world’s finest – including top men’s singles shuttler Viktor Axelsen – will fight for honours at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, fans are in for a treat, while industry players are studying every detail of the championship.

Shuttlers training at Axiata Arena yesterday.

Here’s why.

Rich history

Then known as the Malayan Championships, the tournament was inaugurated in Singapore in 1937. A.S. Samuel from Selangor won the men’s singles title and the men’s doubles final, where he partnered Chan Kon Leong.

Samuel went on to become the first Malayan shuttler to go on a tour of Europe between December 1938 and March 1939.

Samuel’s wife, Cecilia Chan, won the women’s singles event in 1939 and 1941.

The meet was held annually at numerous locations nationwide, including Penang and Ipoh. Later, other venues were added, including Johor Bahru, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu.

According to Jamie Koh and Stephanie Ho in their book ‘Culture and Customs of Malaysia and Singapore’, the Malaysia Open was not held between 1942 and 1946, and from 1967 to 1982.

The event was also cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2007, it became one of the Badminton World Federation’s Super Series tournaments. It is a Super 750 tournament but will be upgraded to a Super 1,000 event, offering US$1.25 million in prize money, beginning next year.

Overwhelming response

Tickets for the quarterfinals onwards on Friday were sold out weeks ago. This has been described as “unprecedented” as in the past, fans would adopt a wait-and-see attitude to see if their favourite Malaysian players would feature in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.

Limited day seats for today, tomorrow, and Thursday, are still available.

No Covid-19 testing required

This edition of the Malaysia Open is the first tournament to be placed under BWF’s Phase 3 of the Covid-19 protocol. What this means is that players and officials participating in the tournament are not required to carry out a Covid-19 test, and there will be no division of zones.

Carnival-like affair

While the action will be in the Axiata Arena, plenty of exciting activities will take place around the venue. This includes The Malaysia Festival 2022 that will feature an array of activities, food, and cultural shows.

It is learnt that fans in the stadium will also be entertained by singers on the finals, come Sunday.

Closely observed by industry players

The Malaysia Open is being monitored by industry players as they believe this could be the template for future sporting events in Malaysia.

The BA of Malaysia’s partnership with Petronas saw the oil and gas giant promoting the tournament at its petrol stations nationwide, with merchandise being sold at selected outlets.

Much emphasis has been placed on fan engagement, both online and offline, and more will be done throughout the tournament.

Physical marketing efforts were also seen at KLCC and Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur.

Incorporating entertainment in a sporting event is only natural, following the success of various meets worldwide, like the Super Bowl in the United States.

Various attempts are also being made to allow multiple stakeholders – from food truck operators to entertainers – to generate income from one sporting event, further strengthening the need to pay more attention to the sports industry in Malaysia.