The fans have left, players are back home, boxes are packed, and regular scheduling is back on in the SportArena in Nieuwpoort, but that doesn’t mean the Yonex Belgian International will soon be forgotten about.
The 2026 edition was a special one. After 20 years, we moved the organization to the Belgian coast, almost starting from 0 when it came to getting the event ready. For months, a team of dedicated volunteers and Badminton Vlaanderen personnel has been researching, emailing, visiting, … to be ready for September 7th. On Monday, trucks full of material and a bunch of (at that point still) very energized volunteers arrived in Nieuwpoort. Over the span of 2 days, they worked incredibly hard to get everything ready before the players arrived.
On Thursday night we welcomed the first players, checking them in to our Partner hotels. And with that, the competition could start! Well over 200 players from 36 different countries stepped on the court for the few available main draw spots, among them 15 Belgian players getting a taste of the international level in front of a home crowd.
The main draw welcomed a high level of international players, from returning winners to new faces. Although Thursday was only the beginning of the main draw, not one player was giving points away. The day was long but full of excitement, rounding up a great group to go into the third day continuing the road to the finals.
With the quarter and semifinals starting, the crowd started to thicken, the fans who came on Friday morning were the last to witness the Belgian pride during this year’s tournament, having our last Belgian, Julien Carraggi, end his tournament during the quarter finals after a tough fight. During the semifinals, it didn’t get easier, players after players went home until we ended up with 10 finalists. J. Soby & S. Rojkjaer vs N. Begga & E. Jacobs, J. Oldorff vs K. Kajarajaran, K. Gilmour vs W. Zhang, H. Chen & Y. Chen vs A. Kudsk & S. Pilgaard, and the Grimley brothers vs R. Nebel & J. Soby.
Our finals day was more than just nerve-wracking badminton. Every game was talked through by Erwin Van den Sande and supported by the cheerleaders from SYCYK Dance Studio and DJ Dosschy. In between games, we got to honor the young winners of the YBJMC, Marcel Pierloot, who leaves a lasting impact on Badminton in Belgium, and kick off the 1000 Shuttles against Cancer campaign with the iconic Peter Gade and Hans Kristian Vittinghus.
But of course, what everyone came for, the finals itself. Starting with mixed doubles, Jeppe Soby and Sofie Rojkjaer took home the gold with a score of 21-18 and 21-13. Giving Soby an extra boost going into the men’s doubles.
The men’s singles gave everyone a match worth their money, playing well for over an hour. After three pearl-clenching rounds, Karan Rajan Kajarajan ended it with 21-15, 16-21, and 22-20.
Next up was Kirsty Gilmour’s seasonal comeback, winning the tournament, bringing back her confidence after a less-than-ideal season. 21-16 and 21-15.
Amalie Cecilie Kudsk and Simona Pilgaard took home the women’s doubles with 21-16 and 21-19, making this the 3rd back-to-back win at this tournament for Kudsk.
We ended the day with the men’s doubles, where Christopher and Matthew Grimley showed everyone what brothers can do, taking home the last win of the week with 21-18 and 21-12.
Who thinks a tournament ends here is wrong! Remember that team of energized volunteers? A bit less energized but not any less determined; they started bringing the hall back to what it was, leaving nothing but our memories behind.
It is because of them we could welcome you to a tournament like this. Who could also not be missed are our partners who give us the resources to make this all happen: Yonex, Arena, Lotto, Sport Vlaanderen, City of Nieuwpoort, Badminton Vlaanderen, and KBBF.
And of course, YOU, our fans! Thank you for always being there to show all our players the love they deserve. We can’t wait to welcome you in only 11 months and 23 days for the Yonex Belgian International 2027! In the meantime, keep an eye on all our pages for news, throwbacks, and so much more.
See you next year!