KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing economic challenges have impacted various sectors, including sports, resulting in higher costs for hosting international tournaments.
In light of this, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Canada have decided to downgrade the Canada Open, set to take place from July 1 to 6, from a Super 500 event to a Super 300.
The tournament’s prize money has also been slashed by 42%, dropping from US$420,000 last year to US$240,000 this year.
Additionally, for this year’s edition, the venue has been changed to the Markham Pan Am Centre in Markham, Ontario.
“Due to unforeseen economic challenges, Badminton Canada concluded that it was no longer feasible to deliver the requirements of a Super 500 tournament.
“Shifting the tournament to a Super 300 level continues Badminton Canada’s commitment to growing the excitement for the sport across the country and ensuring an ongoing world-class badminton presence in North America,” said BWF in a statement released yesterday.
For the record, the Canada Open was previously a Super 100 event on the BWF World Tour before being upgraded to Super 500 in 2023.
Last year, no Malaysian players took part in the tournament as it was held too close to the Paris Olympics, with the national shuttlers fully focused on their preparations for the world’s biggest sporting event.
The last time a Malaysian player won the tournament was a decade ago when Datuk Lee Chong Wei defeated Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long in the final.
