OTTAWA (Badminton Canada) – Badminton Canada announced Monday the hosts for the 2015 and 2016 Yonex Canada Open.
The 2015 and 2016 Canadian Grand Prix will be hosted by Badminton Alberta in Calgary Alberta at the Winsport’s Markin MacPhail Centre. The 2015 Grand Prix will be held June 22 to 28 with the dates of the 2016 event to be confirmed shortly.
The Canadian Open Grand Prix is the highest level Badminton World Federation international event organized in Canada on a yearly basis. The 2014 Canadian Open Grand Prix was held at UBC Thunderbird Arena and hosted over 200 of the top international players. This included top ranked Canadian Athlete Michelle Li, currently ranked 12th in the world, who won the Women’s Singles event in 2014. The Canadian Open Grand Prix was previously was held in Richmond BC at the Richmond Oval from 2010 to 2013.
“Hosting the 2015 & 2016 YONEX Canada Open Grand Prix is an exciting opportunity for badminton enthusiasts in Calgary,” says Marco De Iaco, VP, Sport & Major Events with Tourism Calgary. “With some of the world’s premier badminton stars coming to our city, spectators will have the opportunity to witness an elite competition. Hosting the event over consecutive years will contribute to local grassroots interest in badminton, as well as to Calgary’s tourism economy. We’re looking forward to welcoming this international event to our city.”
“Badminton Alberta`s Board of Directors recognizes the unique opportunity that hosting the 2015 & 2016 Yonex Canada Open International Grand Prix presents to promote and grow the sport within Alberta and throughout Western Canada. This is a world-class event that deserves a world-class stage. Albertans and specifically Calgarians will call upon our rich history in hosting the best athletes in the world with world famous Western hospitality, including the white hat ceremony.” said John Osborne. “The selection of WinSport`s Markin MacPhail Centre (MMC) as host venue reflects the importance of the Yonex Canada Open. The MMC is a world-class facility with seating for 2,900 spectators and numerous function rooms to host important development and social activities surrounding such a marquee event. We will aim to support maximum performance of each athlete in their competition for the valuable world ranking points necessary to reach the Summer Olympics Games in Rio 2016.”
If you are interested in learning more about the volunteer opportunities associated with this event, please take a minute and complete the following Volunteer Sign-Up Form.