Badminton: Whanganui Junior Open this weekend

Over 230 games of Badminton between some of the best juniors in the North Island will be played at Springvale Stadium over the weekend.

The annual Whanganui Junior Open will showcase 65 players, competing for singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at Under 15 and Under 17 level.

There will be ten locals taking part, as well as guest players from Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wellington and Hawkes Bay.

Spokesman Graham Feist said each division – boys and girls – has players ranked in the top ten nationally, which should make for high class finals.

"The Under 15 girls singles has all four seeds ranked in the nation's top ten.

"Second billing in the Under 15 boys singles is taken by Raphael Deloy who recently won the AIMS Games gold medal.

"Local girl, Chloe Benadie, is seeded second and will endeavour to reach the final of the Under 17 girls singles."

The singles draw starts at 9am tomorrow, and will see 128 matches played across the two age groups and four divisions, with up to 12 courts hosting games.

Sunday starts at 9am with the mixed doubles, followed by the girls and boys doubles, with 105 matches scheduled.

Semifinals for the singles will begin around 3pm tomorrow, while the girls and boys doubles start at 3pm on Sunday.

Entry is free to the public.