Arctic Open begins in Finland as India juniors reach semis

Badminton moves to Europe this week as the BWF Arctic Open Super 500 gets under way in Vantaa, Finland, while in India the national junior side secured a landmark result, reaching the semifinals of the World Junior Mixed Team Championships in Guwahati and guaranteeing the country its first ever mixed-team medal. The Arctic Open runs October 7 to 12 and features top doubles teams from Malaysia among the favorites, while the Suhandinata Cup quarterfinals in Guwahati concluded October 9 with India beating Korea in a three-hour tie.

In Vantaa, former world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik head the men’s doubles draw as top seeds and world number two. They open against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard and could face compatriots Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong in a second-round all-Malaysian match. Defending champions Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin are seeded second. Other Malaysian pairs, including Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun and Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal, meet each other in the first round, guaranteeing at least one Malaysian doubles entry into the next stage.

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan are Malaysia’s sole representatives in women’s doubles and enter as...