The sound of shuttlecocks popping crisply across the courts at the Sport Ireland Campus will once again fill the National Indoor Arena this week, as the AIG Victor Irish Open Badminton returns to Dublin from 12–15 November.
It’s one of the oldest tournaments on the European badminton calendar. For Ireland’s growing badminton community, it remains the flagship stage —a chance to see world-class athletes up close, to measure local progress, and to celebrate a sport steadily carving out its identity in the Irish sporting landscape.
This year’s edition arrives with quiet confidence and a dash of anticipation. For the home fans, the focus will rest on Nhat Nguyen, Ireland’s top player and world number 28, who enters the week as the tournament’s top seed.
Still just 25, Nguyen carries both the weight of expectation and the admiration of a generation of young Irish players inspired by his rise.
“It’s always special to play at home,” he said ahead of the event. “You feel the energy of the crowd differently — it’s personal. My family, my coaches, kids from the clubs — everyone’s there. That gives you something extra.”
Nguyen, who grew up in Dublin after his family moved from Vietnam, has become the face of Irish badminton’s modern era — technically sharp, composed, and increasingly dangerous on the international circuit. He will lead the home charge in the men’s singles, but Irish interest spreads far wider this year, across doubles and mixed disciplines, where a mix of youth and experience are looking to make an impression.
The AIG Irish Open sits on the Badminton World Federation International Challenge tier, a proving ground between national and elite international competition. It draws a wide array of talent: European hopefuls hunting for ranking points, Asian players using the event as a European tune-up, and young prospects chasing breakthroughs.
The entry list features strong contingents from Denmark, France, England and Malaysia, alongside players from as far afield as India, the United States and Japan. That cosmopolitan mix gives the Dublin event a distinctive flavour of competitiveness, unpredictability, and a window into the next wave of global stars.
Competing on home soil against higher-ranked opponents provides an invaluable experience for Irish players that can’t be replicated in training, while For supporters, it’s a chance to see just how far Irish badminton has come since the days when qualifying for the main draw was seen as a victory in itself.
Momentum on and off the court
Beyond the competition itself, the Irish Open serves as a showcase for the sport’s momentum at home. Badminton Ireland has recorded steady growth in club participation and junior numbers, with schools’ programmes and regional academies feeding into the national pathway.
AIG’s continued sponsorship has also given the tournament stability and profile. As the title partner since 2022, the company’s backing has helped raise the event’s production values and streaming coverage, making it accessible to a broader online audience.
“This week is about more than matches,” said Badminton Ireland chief executive Enda Lynch. “It’s about celebrating the sport’s place in Ireland and showing what we can deliver. Every year the standard improves — not just on the court, but in how we present the game.”
It is also taking place at a Sport Ireland Campus, where next year ground will be broken for a new purpose-built Velodrome and Badminton Centre, potentially opening up a pathway to more home talent and international events.
Over four days, the competition will move quickly — early qualifying rounds mid-week, quarter-finals on Friday, and the showpiece finals on Saturday 15 November. Tickets for the closing stages are available online, with early-round sessions free to attend.
Whatever happens in Saturday’s finals, the AIG Irish Open will stand as another small but meaningful step forward, a stage where local dreams meet international reality, and where every smash, spin and rally tells the story of a sport quietly on the rise.
Image Credit: Sport for Business
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
Read our Sport for Business Coverage of Badminton
SPORT FOR BUSINESS Upcoming Events
November 20th – Playing for the Planet – A new event focused on Sustainability in Sport with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport
December 9th – Our 12th Annual Women in Sport Conference in partnership with Lidl.
January – The Sporting Year Ahead 2026 in partnership with Teneo.
Sport for Business Podcasts
MEMBERSHIP AND EVENT,
The GAA, Electric ireland and AIB, as well as all the leading sporting and business organisations in and around the world of sport, are among the 300+ members of the Sport for Business community.
This includes all of the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies, individuals interested in our world, and an increasing number from beyond these shores taking a keen interest in Ireland.
Find out more about becoming a member today.
Or sign up for our twice-daily bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.
Sign up for our News Bulletins here.
