{"id":410113,"date":"2024-06-27T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=410113"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Impressive-field-for-Crowne-Plaza-Northern-Marianas-Open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Impressive-field-for-Crowne-Plaza-Northern-Marianas-Open\/","title":{"rendered":"Impressive field for Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NMI-hosted Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2024 that will run from July 2 to 7 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium will feature two former World Junior champions, a reigning continental champion, and several Top 100 ranked players in the world.<\/p>\n

Chinese Taipei\u2019s Kuo Kwan Lin, who ruled the men\u2019s singles play in the 2022 World Junior Championship held in Santander, Spain, leads the men\u2019s field in the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2024. Lin will be joined in the Badminton World Federation Grade 3 International Challenge tournament by New Zealand\u2019s Edward Lau, who topped the men\u2019s singles event in the Oceania Championships 2024 that took place in Victoria, Australia in February. Lau also made it to the finals of the mixed doubles event (with Shaunna Li) of the same tournament before losing to the tandem of Kenneth Choo and inaugural Northern Marianas Open participant Gronya Sommerville of Australia.<\/p>\n

Lin and Lau are among the 200 players from 16 countries who registered for the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2024, which will kick off the pair of BWF-sanctioned events that Northern Marianas Badminton Association is bringing back to the islands following a successful hosting of two 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualifying tournament last year. The other competition, the Dove Saipan International 2024\u2014is scheduled for July 9 to 13.<\/p>\n

Besides the two champions, the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2024 will also have former World No. 3 Hye Jeong Kim of South Korea and 2019 World Junior Championship winner Riko Gunji, who has won two of her last three tournaments this year. Gunji, who is among the seeded players in the women\u2019s singles, was crowned champion in the State Denmark Challenge 2024 in May and Toyota Thailand International Challenge in March. The Japanese also joined Luxembourg Open and placed second in the competition.<\/p>\n

Gunji\u2019s notable rivals for the women\u2019s singles championship will be the seven players that are ranked in the Top 100\u2014No. 58 Hsiang Ti of Chinese-Taipei, No. 82 Sih Yun Lin, and No. 86 Ching Ping Huang and fellow Japanese Kaoru Sugiyama (No. 83), Asuka Takahashi (No. 85), and Akari Kurihara (No. 88). Chinese-Taipei\u2019s Yu-Hsuan Lee is ranked outside the Top 100, as she is currently at No. 103, but joins Gunji and six others on the list of seeded players in the women\u2019s singles.<\/p>\n

In the men\u2019s singles, Lin is seeded No. 2 behind Sri Lanka\u2019s Viren Nettansinghe, who is the highest ranked player in the division at No. 74. Japan\u2019s Riku Hatano, Ryoma Muramoto, and Shoko Ogawa, Malaysia\u2019s Huang Yu and Chi Ting Chen complete the list of seeded entries in the men\u2019s singles.<\/p>\n

In the mixed doubles, the pair of Hiroki Nishi and Akari Sato is the top seed team and also the highest ranked players in the entire field of the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2024 at No. 33.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, NMBA president Merlie Tolentino said the badminton community is excited to welcome these top-level players and witness their brilliance on the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we first hosted the two BWF Grade 3 International Challenge\/Paris Olympic Qualifiers, we were treated to high-level matches that have never been seen on the islands before. Our upcoming local players, especially our youth players, were able to watch these exciting games. This time, many of our young players will have a chance to play against these top players,\u201d Tolentino said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are the opportunities afforded to us by hosting BWF-ranking tournaments\u2014allowing our community to experience what it\u2019s like to watch high-level badminton matches, giving our players the much-needed exposure to international competitions, and supporting NMI\u2019s efforts in promoting sports tourism,\u201d the NMBA president added. (PR)<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Kuo Kwan Lin, 2022 World Juniors champion, of Chinese Taipei is among the players to watch in the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open that will run from July 2 to 7 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
<\/figcaption><\/figure>

<\/p>\n

Former World Junior Championship women\u2019s singles winner Riko Gunji is included in the impressive field of players competing in the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2024.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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