The six-day Sands China Ltd. Macau Open Badminton 2026 held at the East Asian Games Dome in Cotai concluded yesterday, according to the HSBC BWF World Tour website. Shuttlers from the Chinese mainland and South Korea (ROK) were crowned champions of the men’s and women’s singles, respectively.
The tournament was one of the events of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300, co-organised by the Badminton Federation of Macau and Sands China, with live coverage of the final rounds streamed globally on BWF TV.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the international governing body for the sport.
The total prize money for the event, according to the website, was US$370,000 (2.99 million patacas).
The Chinese mainland’s Hu Zhe’an claimed the Men’s Singles title, defeating Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-11, 10-21, 13-21. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun secured victory after defeating compatriot Park Ga-eun 21-16, 21-13 in the Women’s Singles.
The website highlighted that Hu has a World Ranking of 48 and World Tour Rank No. 37 in Men’s Singles. Kim, meanwhile, is ranked No. 18 in the World Ranking while having the World Tour Rank of 42 in Women’s Singles.
The BWF World Tour is a multi-tier professional circuit culminating in the annual World Tour Finals.
South Korean pair Jin Yong and Lee Jong-min emerged victorious in the Men’s Doubles, beating Indonesian pair Ali Faathir Rayhan and Devin Artha Wahyudi 21-18, 19-21, 10-21, while the Women’s Doubles crown went to the Chinese mainland’s Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan after beating compatriots Chen Fan Shutian and Liu Jiayue 18-21, 10-21.
Moreover, Chinese mainland pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin were crowned champions in the Mixed Doubles after defeating Hong Kong’s Chan Yin-chak and Ng Tsz-yau 21-14, 21-14.
Speaking to the media after their respective matches, Hu said the title was a significant confidence boost and validation of his training efforts. Reflecting on the final, he noted that the opening game proved challenging as his opponent played aggressively, forcing him to adapt his approach. “In the second game, we focused on improving our speed and offence”, Hu said. Despite claiming his first Macau Open title, Hu stressed that he still has areas to improve and plans to remain focused on training and performing consistently in future tournaments.
Meanwhile, Kim described her victory as a “particularly meaningful achievement”. Facing a fellow South Korean in the final, she said familiarity with her opponent influenced her tactical approach. “Because my opponent is quite small, I tried to make a strategy that fit her position”, Kim said, adding that winning her first Macau Open title was “a very happy moment”, and set her sights on future success at the World Championships and the Asian Games.
Women’s and Men’s Singles winners Kim Ga-eun (up) from South Korea and Hu Zhe’an from the Chinese mainland pose with their awards after yesterday’s “Sands China Ltd. Macau Open Badminton 2026” finals at the East Asian Games Dome in Cotai. – Photos: Khalel Vallo
