2019 BWF Sudirman Cup gets underway in China’s Nanning

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The opening ceremony of the 2019 BWF Sudirman Cup was held in the Chinese city of Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Friday.

Several top shuttlers from different badminton powerhouses joined the prestigious badminton team event, held in every two years.

Thirty-one teams from four continents have been participating in the ongoing 16th edition of Sudirman Cup while Greenland has become a first-time participant at the historic event.

Earlier, Zheng Siwei and Chen Yufei represented hosts China in the opening ceremony. The hosts sent a young squad that is mainly composed of players under the age of 25.

The Chinese contingent at the opening ceremony of 16th Sudirman Cup in Nanning, China. /VCG Photo

China's doubles coach Zhang Jun said, “Many young players are enrolled in our squad this time. We hope they can shoulder more responsibilities and play a main role in the national team.”

“The tournament is held on our home soil, and we hope our young players can endure the pressure and grow fast. In my opinion, my players deal with the pressure very well and they are all very confident,” he added.

Meanwhile, prolific Chinese men's singles player Shi Yuqi took the oath as players' representative. The group stage kicked off on Saturday morning and China will take on Malaysia in their tournament-opener later today.

The hosts are the most successful team in Sudirman Cup history, winning 10 times out of the last 15 editions. However, this time coach Zhang Jun's side is expected to face stiff challenges from rising badminton powers Japan, Chinese Taipei, as well as the traditional powerhouse like Indonesia.