[Saba Sports News] On May 22, the press conference of the 2026 Jinan Lin Dan Cup Badminton Open was held in Tianqiao District, Jinan. This marks the debut of the Lin Dan Cup in Jinan. The tournament will kick off during China’s National Day holiday. Boasting a strong national fitness atmosphere and top-tier event hosting conditions, it is set to evolve into a high-level badminton gala integrating professional competition, public participation and culture-sports integration, drawing over a thousand professional players, teenage enthusiasts and amateur masters to compete.
Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan, world champion Xie Xingfang, officials from the organizing committee, leaders of Jinan City and Tianqiao District, school representatives and media guests attended the conference.
According to the organizing committee, the 2026 Jinan Lin Dan Cup has achieved comprehensive strategic upgrading with the official slogan “Shine the Moment You Step on Court”. The event advocates passion for badminton and encourages all players to pursue their dreams bravely. The prize pool totals 123,000 US dollars. Prizes for players ranking 9th to 32nd have been greatly raised to benefit more contestants and attract elite international athletes and rising young talents. A professional ranking point system has also been established as part of players’ annual evaluation criteria, enhancing the event’s professionalism, sustainability and competitive value.
In my opinion, the hosting of the Lin Dan Cup in Jinan will gather premium sports event resources, optimize local sports industrial layout, and boost the in-depth integration of sports events, cultural tourism consumption and national fitness.