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“2024 Lin Dan Cup Badminton Open” concludes at Macau’s Studio City

  • The “Melco Style Presents: 2024 Macau Lin Dan Cup Badminton Open” was held in Macau.
  • Aimed at establishing a unique sports brand for Macau, the event sought to promote the integrated development of sports, culture and tourism.

The “Melco Style Presents: 2024 Macau Lin Dan Cup Badminton Open” concluded in late September at Melco’s Studio City after two days of intense competition featuring 82 matches.

Aimed at establishing a unique sports brand for Macau, the event sought to promote the integrated development of sports, culture and tourism. Organizers hoped to showcase Macau’s capacity to host world-class sports events, enhance visitor experiences and boost the city’s tourism competitiveness.

The tournament featured a men’s singles competition with 48 participants and a record-breaking prize of RMB 300,000 for the champion. Players from seven countries and regions, including Malaysia, Russia, England and Canada, competed with elite athletes like world-ranked Cheam June Wei (61st) and Sheng Xiaodong (91st). The event adopted a group round-robin and single-elimination format, with a 31-point single game in the first phase and a best-of-three 21-point system for the bronze medal match and final.

After a fierce competition, Malaysia’s Cheam June Wei secured the title with a 2-1 victory. Former China national team player Zhou Zeqi won the silver medal, while Lu Jiayu from Central South University took bronze.

During a break in the tournament, badminton Olympic gold medalist and double Grand Slam winner Lin Dan, along with world champion and 2024 Paris Olympics silver medalist He Bingjiao, surprised the audience with a mixed exhibition match.

Lin Dan, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in 2008 and 2012 alongside 20 world championship titles, is the only badminton player to achieve a double Grand Slam. Since his retirement, he has actively promoted badminton, with the Lin Dan Cup being a significant initiative. Since 2020, the Lin Dan Cup has hosted eight tournaments in cities like Shenzhen, Hunan and Zhejiang, attracting nearly 1,000 international players from China, Malaysia, Thailand, the UK and Canada. The tournament has become a key event on the global badminton scene.

Senior Vice President and General Manager of Studio City, Kevin Benning

The “Melco Style Presents: 2024 Macau Lin Dan Cup Badminton Open” was organized by Danhui (Guangzhou) Sports Culture Co., Ltd., co-hosted by Melco Resorts & Entertainment, and supported by the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and Yulin (Shenzhen) Sports Industry Co., Ltd.

The two-day event attracted nearly 5,000 attendees. A devoted badminton fan from Beijing, Dong Ziqian, praised the experience, calling it the “Best Event of the Year,” making the round-trip flights from Beijing to Macau well worth it.

The tournament champion Cheam June Wei expressed his anticipation before the event, stating, “I am excited to have the opportunity to come to Macau to participate in the competition. The city is very charming, and the people here are warm and friendly. This is my first time competing in a top event show venue, and I look forward to interacting with the outstanding fellow contestants from all over the world. I hope I will have the opportunity to taste authentic Macanese foods after the competition, too.”

Ahead of the event, Lin Dan expressed his gratitude towards the Sports Bureau and other partners, saying, “Thanks to the support of the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR and our partners, the Lin Dan Cup is to be presented in Macau for the first time ever. In the context of the ‘2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area National Games’, we hope to leverage the integration of the Greater Bay Area, as well as Macau’s ability to offer top capacity and quality to attract more international players to compete and develop the Lin Dan Cup into an international-level badminton competition.”

Badminton world champion and executive director of Danhui Sports Culture Co., Ltd., Xie Xingfang, emphasized that the Lin Dan Cup provides a platform for badminton enthusiasts to showcase their skills. With the 2025 National Games and the double anniversaries of the PRC and Macau’s handover approaching, the tournament’s debut in Macau holds special significance. Xie encouraged athletes to perform their best while enjoying Macau’s unique culinary and cultural offerings.

He Bingjiao remarked that the Macau Lin Dan Cup met international competition standards in both its facilities and organization, and her interaction with Lin Dan, a role model for many, fulfilled one of her personal dreams. She hopes the Lin Dan Cup will inspire more young athletes to pursue their dreams.

Clarence Chung, Board Director of Melco, expressed his satisfaction with the event’s success, stating, “We are delighted to see the successful conclusion of the Macau Lin Dan Cup and extend our gratitude to all parties for their support. Melco is honored to host this sporting event in Macau, successfully attracting sports enthusiasts and fostering exchanges between local athletes and visitors from various regions. Melco will continue to fully support Macau’s development into a ‘City of Sports’.”

Local youth athletes sharing session
During the tournament, Melco invited members from the Macau Special Olympics (MSO) Badminton Team, Macau Polytechnic University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports, Macau Polytechnic University Badminton Team, Melco Badminton Team, Melco Reach! Team and Melco Parent & Child Volunteers to participate in a youth sharing session at Studio City’s Seer Arena.

Here, Lin Dan shared his most memorable experiences and challenges from his Olympic career, offering encouragement to the attending youth to pursue their dreams with determination.

Interactive badminton sessions between Lin Dan, He Bingjiao and players from the MSO and Macau Polytechnic University teams were also held.

Hetzer Siu, National Director of Macau Special Olympics, expressed excitement for MSO athletes with intellectual disabilities to engage with badminton legends Lin Dan and He Bingjiao, calling it a great honor. He praised the champions for their care toward disadvantaged groups, noting how sports can bridge barriers and reduce discrimination. Siu added that with Melco’s support, the presence of these renowned athletes would bring more attention to next year’s National Games for Persons with Disabilities and increase awareness of sports for people with intellectual disabilities.

Akiko Takahashi, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to Melco’s Chairman & CEO, remarked, “In our aim to support the nurturing of local talent and foster an inclusive community, we are honored to collaborate with Mr Lin Dan to offer local community members the opportunity to be inspired and to learn from the best in the sport. We hope that this invaluable opportunity will inspire and encourage our community members to always reach for their fullest potential.”

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