Sandton to host 6th annual Badminton Hisense-CAD Fund Cup

The sixth annual South African badminton tournament, the Hisense-CAD Fund Cup, is set to take place at The Wanderers Club in Sandton on 6 August and is expected to surpass the previous year’s tournament in terms of quality players and excitement.

Organised by the South African Chinese Badminton Association, this local tournament sees a number of professional South African and Chinese players from clubs around the country competing for champion status.

The association’s chairman, Dawei Fan, commented that this competition has proudly grown in popularity since its inception in 2010. “When the Hisense-CAD Fund Cup initially started, only about 30 players competed, this number has grown to more than 100 sporting competitors from around the country.”

Among the stream of competitors, this year’s cup is expecting around 30 top professionals, including national player Michelle Butler-Emmett; 2015 U19 champion and SA team captain Michael Jennings; as well as Christina Caldeira, former SA national junior and provincial coach.

Fan, a recent gold-medallist at the All England Seniors Open Badminton Championship, said that this popular Olympic sport is just as prevalent in South Africa as it is in Europe. “You will be surprised to know that most areas in South Africa have a badminton club. “It’s also a very popular sport among the local Chinese community, including those over the age of 65 who enjoy playing and competing in competitions locally.”

Open to the public, the Hisense-CAD Fund Cup offers free entry to all those interested, and to support local champs.

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