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91Èȱ¬ Sport

An exciting start to the mixed doubles tournament for British fans as Marcus Ellis/Lauren Smith (ENG) face compatriots Gregory Mairs/Jenny Mairs (ENG). Ellis is one of a select few Brits to have won an Olympic medal in badminton (men’s doubles bronze in 2016), while he and Smith were silver medallists at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Meanwhile, the Mairs were part of the bronze-winning team at the 2023 European Mixed Team Championships.

Men’s doubles features Ben Lane/Sean Vendy (ENG), also silver medallists in Birmingham in 2022 and runners-up last year at the European Games. Alexander Dunn/Adam Hall (SCO) are the other Brits in the draw, following on from theirbronze at least year’s European Games.

Leading hopes in the singles is Kirsty Gilmour (SCO). Gilmour has won a silver and a bronze at the Commonwealths and last month was also part of the Scottish team who won bronze at the European Team Championships.

Rest of the World

Amongst the international stars are Viktor Axelsen (DEN) in the men’s singles; he won gold at Tokyo 2020 and is a multiple world champion. Carolina Marin (ESP) in the women’s singles won gold at Rio 2016 and is a three-time World Champion, while last year’s All England Open winner An Se-Young (KOR) returns to defend her title.

In women’s doubles, Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan (CHN) are four-time World Champions and 2020 Olympic runners-up. Lee Yang/Wang Chi-lin (TPE) in the men’s doubles are the reigning Olympic champions. Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong (CHN) are the Olympic silver medallists and World Champions in the mixed doubles.

91Èȱ¬ Sport

The All England Open is both the world’s oldest tournament and arguably the most famous. This is its 30th year at the Arena Birmingham, featuring five disciplines and a total of 155 matches in six days.

The 125th All England Open Badminton Championships are LIVE across 91Èȱ¬ Sport this week, March 12-17, as the world’s best players come to Birmingham with Paris 2024 on the horizon. All the action begins on Tuesday March 12th.

91Èȱ¬ iPlayer

Tuesday 12 March

10:00 - 20:00 - FirstRound - Red Button, 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport wesbite & app

Wednesday 13 March

10:00 - 20:00 - First Round - Red Button, 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport website & app

Thursday 14 March

10:00 - 20:00 - Last 16 - Red Button, 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport website & app

Friday 15 March

10:00 - 15:00 - Quarter-finals - Red Button, 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport website & app

17:00 - 22:00 - Quarter-finals - 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport website & app

Saturday 16 March

10:00 - 15:00 - Semi-finals - Red Button, 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport website & app

17:00 - 22:00 - Semi-finals - 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport website & app

Sunday 17 March

10:00 - 17:00 - Finals - Red Button, 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer, 91Èȱ¬ Sport website & app

All episodes available to watch back on demand via 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer.

91Èȱ¬ Sport

How do I start?

Visit these club locators in ,, and , or contact your local leisure centre if you want to play casually.

What is it?

• Badminton is the world's fastest racquet sport,there's a raised net and you can play singles or doubles.
• The aim is to hit a shuttlecock, a cone shaped object usually made of feathers with a cork or rubber base, over the net with your racquet.
• If the shuttlecock lands inside your opponent's half, or if they fail to return it back over the net in the rally, you win the point.
• The first to 21 points will win a game, and a match is a best out of three games.

Is it for me?

Badminton is one of the most played sports in the United Kingdom, with over a million of us taking to the court each month - so, whether you want to play some casual rallies with a pal or have a competitive game, badminton is for anyone. It is an easy sport to pick up, most leisure centres have courts and you can hire racquets and shuttlecocks.

What to expect when I start?

• Competitive badminton is normally played indoors but you can play outdoors for fun, either in your garden or, if the UK ever sees more than a day's sunshine in a year, on the beach.
• You will get an all-round workout as your body will be leaping, lunging, twisting, turning and stretching.
• Badminton improves co-ordination, balance, agility and speed.
• It can also boost self-esteem and help develop communication skills.
• Para-Badminton has a variety of categories and competitions - wheelchair, learning disabilities, physical disabilities (upper and lower body), hearing-impaired disabilities and transplant players. Visit websites in ,, and to find out more.