From April 25 to 30, the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships will take place in Dubai at the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall, hosted by the UAE Badminton Federation. The tournament structure features 32 players in each main draw, with 28 direct entries and four spots filled via Tuesday's qualifying rounds. Lee Zii Jia and Wang Zhiyi enter the competition as the defending champions looking to repeat their success.
The 2023 Badminton Asia Championships is scheduled to be held from 25 to 30 April in Dubai. This tournament is hosted by the United Arab Emirates Badminton Federation. This international tournament will be played at the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall in Dubai. There are 32 players (or pairings) in each main draw with 28 already placed and four coming from round-robin qualifiers taking place on the opening day (Tuesday). Defending champions Lee Zii Jia and Wang Zhiyi will look to defend their titles in their respective categories.
The men's singles action begins Wednesday, headlined by Lee Zii Jia's attempt to protect his title against Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong. This tournament is a significant opportunity for the 25-year-old Malaysian to find his form and claim his first title of 2023, following disappointing semi-final finishes at the All England and the Swiss Open.
Indonesia's Jonatan Christie holds the top seed, with Anthony Ginting following closely at second. Defending champion Zii Jia is seeded third, while Japan's Kodai Naraoka takes the fourth spot. A highlight of the opening round is the high-stakes matchup between Christie and China's Shi Yuqi, the world number 10. Additionally, Li Shifeng, the All England champion ranked 11th globally, will start his campaign against Jeon Hyeok-jin of Korea.
Fans can also look forward to a compelling first-round battle between 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew and India's rising star Lakshya Sen. Another Indian representative, Srikanth Kidambi, starts with a favorable match against Bahrain's Adnan Ebrahim, though he may face fourth seed Kodai Naraoka in the next stage. Meanwhile, Japan's Nishimoto Kenta, looking to bounce back from an early exit at the Orleans Masters, will face a qualifier in his first match.
In the women's singles category, defending champion Wang Zhiyi starts her quest for another title against a qualifier. The top seed and previous runner-up, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, will take on India's young talent Malvika Bansod—a daunting task for the 21-year-old Indian. Additionally, second seed An Se-young is scheduled to face Goh Jin Wei in the opening round.
The draw also features the formidable Chen Yufei, an Olympic champion whose skill makes her a danger to anyone in the bracket. After beating Yamaguchi at the All England and eventually losing to Se-young in the final, she remains a top contender. Former champions Tai Tzu-Ying and Ratchanok Intanon are also competing, promising some high-intensity matches.