Previously Super 500 on the HSBC BWF World Tour, the 71-edition-old Singapore Open makes its debut as a Super 750 event in 2023.

We share with you some fascinating things to know about one of badminton’s longest-running tournaments.

GENERAL

• Started in 1929 as the platform to choose national players.
• Opened to foreigners in 1957 and entered the International Badminton Federation (now BWF) Grand Prix circuit in 1990.

Only data after the tournament went international taken into account

• None of this year’s top seeds have won their events, although Huang Ya Qiong took the mixed doubles title with Lu Kai in 2017.
• Women’s pair Shinta Mulia Sari/Lei Yao were the most recent Singaporeans to emerge victorious in 2010. Loh Kean Yew is the highest seeded (4) local shuttler in the draw.
• Singapore, however, are the sole nation to sweep clean the honours – way back in 1961. This time, no country other than Japan possess seeds in all five categories.
• Ge Fei/Gu Jun hold the record for most consecutive triumphs – four. They achieved the feat from 1994-1998 (there was no competition in 1996).
• Success will make Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai the first players to win three seasons in a row since Zhang Ning in 2005.
• Anthony Sinisuka Ginting can end Indonesia’s 50-year wait to see the same athlete clinch two straight men’s singles gongs. Ilie Sumirat did it in 1973.
• Men’s singles is also the longest category not to witness a holder defend his crown. Chen Hong was the last (2002-2003).
• If he attains glory, Hendra Setiawan will be the first men’s doubles shuttler to complete a quadruple since compatriot Sigit Budiarto in 2006. Budiarto’s victories were in 1997, 1998, 2005 (with Candra Wijaya) and 2006 (Flandy Limpele).
• Women’s singles third seed Tai Tzu Ying, meanwhile, stands to be the maiden women’s singles star to do a hattrick in the SuperSeries/World Tour era (from 2007).
• India are yet to succeed in men’s doubles but are able to count on fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty.
• Korea’s final women’s doubles triumph came 32 years ago via Chung Myeong Hee/Chung So Young. Fifth seeds Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong and eighth seeds Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee are their best bets to break through.
• It’s also two decades since they aced mixed doubles through three-time winners Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min. Two seeded pairs represent them this time – Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yu Jung (4) and Sunday’s Thailand Open conquerors Kim Won Ho/Jeong Na Eun (8).
• With three seeds – Chen Yu Fei (4), He Bing Jiao (5) and Wang Zhi Yi (8), China will hope to celebrate a women’s singles champion after Sun Yu in 2015.
• It was also the last time they won women’s doubles through Ou Dongni/Yu Xiao Han. This year, they rely on top seeds Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan and fifth seeds Zheng Yu/Zhang Shu Xian.
• Malaysia have waited longer for winners in men’s singles and doubles. No players triumphed in the categories after Lee Chong Wei and Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif/Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari in 2008.
• Noriko Takagi remains the only Japanese to win in mixed doubles. She partnered Dane Svend Andersen to glory 55 years ago. Second seeds Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino retain the chance to net a first for their country.
• Beginning 2011, the same four countries have produced winners in two disciplines (men’s and women’s doubles) – China, Indonesia, Denmark and Japan.
• No athlete has more crowns than Liliyana Natsir’s six.

Standout Stat: Doubles specialist Ra bagged Korea their solitary women’s singles title (1994).