West Lake Badminton Open to Swing Into Action July 31 – A Thousand Players Gather in Miri to Compete

(Miri, 17th) Miri Badminton Association (MBA) President Dato' Lee Bin Ramad announced that the 2026 West Lake Miri Badminton Open Championship will be held from July 31 to August 2 at the Senadin Kan Sheng Badminton Hall. The event is expected to attract 1,000 players, an increase of about 70% compared to last year, further highlighting Miri's appeal as a regional sports tourism city.
He said that this event is organized by the Kan Sheng Badminton Club, co-organized by the Miri Badminton Association, and is title-sponsored by Westlake Tyres Sdn Bhd. He shared the event details with the media last night at a press conference held at the competition venue.

Dato' Lee Bin Ramad, who also serves as the Championships' advisor, pointed out that the inaugural event in 2025 attracted 589 players across 29 categories from 7 overseas countries and regions. This year, the scale has greatly increased, with 1,000 participants, 58 competition categories, and players registered from 12 countries and regions.
He said that among the 1,000 participants, 653 are from Malaysia (including Sarawak, Sabah, and Peninsular Malaysia), accounting for 65.3% of the total. There are also 347 foreign players, accounting for 34.7%, from countries and regions including Brunei, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia.
He stated that the youngest participant in this event is only 8 years old, while the oldest is 80. There are also 136 youth players, fully demonstrating that the tournament covers all age groups, from grassroots development to veteran players competing on the same stage, providing a platform for badminton enthusiasts of all ages to exchange and learn.

Lee Bin Ramad said, this year's tournament will also welcome several former Malaysian national team players, including Ong Ewe Hock, Ting Wei Ping, Sannatasah Saniru, Yvonne Ong Jing Er, and Zaini Garip.
He mentioned that Zaini Garip from Limbang is the highlight of this year’s event, having won the 2026 All England Masters title, as well as the 2023 and 2025 BWF World Masters titles, making him a best example that "age is not a limitation."

Additionally, he pointed out that the Miri Badminton Association will use this year's tournament to promote local badminton skills development, including arranging practical assessments for 8 local umpire candidates and inviting a newly appointed chief umpire from Kuala Lumpur to participate in officiating, further nurturing technical officials in Sarawak badminton.
Lee Bin Ramad believes the event, besides raising the level of local players, will also boost sports tourism development. With 1,000 players, coaches, referees, and families coming to Miri, it is expected to benefit the hospitality, food and beverage, retail, transportation, and other sectors, while also enhancing Miri's international reputation.

He expressed gratitude to the title sponsor Westlake Tyres, Kan Sheng Badminton Club, Sarawak Badminton Association, sponsors, partners, volunteers, referees, media, and organizing committee members for their strong support, and also welcomed the public to attend and watch the matches during the tournament, joining in this international badminton extravaganza.