TOP badminton players have started arriving for the Victor-Rayan Sports Bahrain International Series 2015 that starts tomorrow at Shaikh Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town.

Among the players who have already arrived are Cao Cuong Pham and Thi Trang Vu from Vietnam, along with their coach Anh Hoang Nguyen. Pham will compete in the men’s singles and Trang Vu in the ladies’ singles. Their compatriot Tien Minh Nguyen will arrive later in the week for the Bahrain International Challenge 2015, starting on November 3. Nguyen is the top ranked men’s singles player on show across the two weeks of world-class badminton action.

The Uzbekistan team – consisting of Oleg and Artyom Savatyugin and Amrullo Bakhshullaev – has also arrived. All three players will play in the men’s singles draw, with Artyom Savatyugin and Bakhshullaev featuring in men’s doubles and Artyom Savatyugin teaming up with Alesia Zaitsava from Belarus in the mixed doubles.

Players from countries such as India, Egypt, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Finland, Slovenia, Latvia and South Africa are expected to arrive in time to join the large Bahrain contingent for the today’s first day of official practice, from 8am to to 8pm.

Over 90 players, representing 18 countries, will compete in the Victor-Rayan Series that will run for five days with the finals due to take place next Sunday.

The Bahrain International Challenge, to be held from November 3 to 7 at Shaikh Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town, will have almost 200 players from 31 countries.

The Victor-Rayan Series is title sponsored by Victor-Rayan Sports, with The Mashtan Hotel and boomzbahrain.com supporting The Bahrain International Badminton Festival 2015 as official hotel and online media partners respectively. 

Festival Sponsorship Packages are available. For details, contact  Ricson Rebello of Bahrain Badminton and Squash Federation on 3925 8158 or email bic.2015@yahoo.com