PETALING JAYA − The Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2022, scheduled to begin at the Setia City Convention Centre in Shah Alam today until Sunday, is expected to attract about one million viewers a day from over 20 countries.
Organising committee chairman Mohd Khairuddin Othman hoped that the viewership across Asia and the world would promote Selangor in various aspects, including sports activities and tourism.
He added that the BATC would also help boost economic growth through sports facilities usage and provide benefits for hotels, tourist attractions, food and beverage retailers as well as improve merchandise sales and businesses in Selangor.
“The tournament can help to attract the expected traffic of people − badminton fans, badminton fraternity, sports fans, local and international tourists and the public − during the course of the championships,” he said in his welcoming speech at the BATC official dinner here yesterday.
Also present were Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) deputy president Datuk V. Subramaniam, players and team officials.
Khairuddin, who is also state Youth, Sports and Human Capital Development committee chairman, said the BATC could assist in terms of developing sports- and event-hosting expertise for youths and sports agencies in the state by being part of and learning the intricacies of hosting international events.
He also pointed out that the 200 free tickets allocated for today’s opening day fixtures were fully taken up within six minutes of the opening for online bookings yesterday.
About 140 players from eight countries − Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kazakhstan and hosts Malaysia − will be competing in the BATC, which also serves as the Asia qualifiers for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals scheduled in Bangkok, Thailand in May.
The Malaysian women’s team will face India in their Group Y match at 4pm today. – Bernama, February 15, 2022
