Fire Breaks Out at Indonesia Masters 2024 Badminton Tournament
Trang Napie
Wed Jan 31 2024
The Indonesia Masters 2024 badminton tournament faced a major setback during the semi-finals when a fire broke out at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, the venue of the event. The cause of the fire is unknown, with electrical malfunction being suspected. The blaze erupted during the first women's doubles match between Zhang Shu Xian/Zheng Yu of China and Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand. Players and officials were safely evacuated from the stadium as thick smoke engulfed the arena. The match was temporarily halted with the score at 11-9 in favor of the Chinese pair.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on their official website that due to unforeseen circumstances, the matches have been temporarily suspended at Istora Senayan. The statement assured that the situation would be resolved as soon as possible and the Indonesia Masters 2024 would continue promptly after the issue is addressed.
The BWF further mentioned that they would provide additional updates regarding the tournament's status and rescheduling of matches. The Indonesia Masters 2024 is a Super 500 event in the BWF World Tour, with a total prize fund of USD 420,000. The fire incident has raised concerns over the safety and security of players and spectators at one of the most prestigious badminton tournaments worldwide. Moreover, Istora Senayan is a historic sporting venue that has hosted major events like the 1962 Asian Games, the 2018 Asian Games, and the 2019 Sudirman Cup.
Moving on to the semi-finals matches, Denmark's Anders Antonsen continued his impressive form this year by reaching the men's singles final of the Indonesia Masters. Antonsen had already clinched the Malaysia Open earlier this month. The 26-year-old shuttler skipped the India Open in New Delhi last week but showed no signs of slowing down as he defeated reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-14, 21-8 in the semi-final.
World No. 7 Antonsen dominated the match from start to finish to secure his fourth victory in five encounters against Kunlavut in international tournaments. So far, the Danish player has not dropped a single game throughout the tournament. Antonsen had defeated home representative and last year's runner-up Chico Aura, India's Lakshya Sen, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and China's Lei Lanxi in the previous rounds.
Despite the defeat, Kunlavut can take heart from his overall performance in the tournament, having reached the semi-finals for the first time since winning the world title in August last year. Standing in Antonsen's way in the final today is Canada's Brian Yang, who beat Indonesia's Anthony Ginting, ranked fourth in the world, with a score of 13-21, 21-17, 21-19 in the other remaining semi-final.
In the women's singles category, China's Wang Zhiyi will face Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the final after defeating her compatriot He Bingjiao with a score of 18-21, 21-14, 21-7. In the women's doubles, Zhang Shuxian/Zheng Yu has set up an all-Chinese final against Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning after overcoming Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand in a thrilling 21-12, 12-21, 21-14 encounter.
The unexpected fire incident at the Indonesia Masters 2024 badminton tournament has caused temporary disruption, emphasizing the importance of safety measures at such prestigious events. As the BWF works on resolving the situation, players, officials, and fans eagerly await the continuation of the tournament, hopeful that it can resume smoothly and maintain the highest standards of competition and security.