World-class badminton athletes compete in Markham

Badminton Canada welcomes the world’s best badminton athletes to compete in the 2025 Yonex Canadian International Challenge at the Markham Pan Am Centre from December 2-7. The tournament will feature men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events, with a grand prize of $17,500.

Founded in 1921, Badminton Canada held its first national championships in Montreal that year and was among nine founding members of the Badminton World Federation.

Markham fans will have plenty to cheer for as the Canadian National Team takes the court, including four-time Olympian Michelle Li, two-time Olympian Bryan Lang, and World Championship bronze medalist Victor Lai. Members of the Next Gen and Junior National Teams will try to qualify and compete, showcasing the future of Canadian badminton.

“This event will showcase how far Canadian Badminton has come, offering a high level of competition and exciting international matches,” said Badminton Canada executive director Bryan R. Merrett. “Badminton is exploding across the country. Markham is the epicentre with more clubs and players opening and joining each year. Hosting a Badminton World Federation-sanctioned event in the community will continue to inspire players, offer development opportunities to our high-performance program, provide officiating and event management learning opportunities and bring valuable tourism dollars to the area.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.canadianinternationalchallenge.com/fan-zone.

Photo: The Yonex Canadian International Challenge will feature men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events. (Photo courtesy of Avvy Jian)

*Story submitted by Christina Manserra.