It’s the equivalent of Roland-Garros, badminton version. All week, the Glaz Arena in Cesson-Sévigné, near Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), hosts the French International Badminton Championships. This tournament, one of the ten most important on the international circuit, had already come to Cesson in 2023.
“We wanted to organize it somewhere other than Paris, and the 2023 edition was very successful. Ille-et-Vilaine is a fertile land of badminton, there is extraordinary enthusiasm here,” greets Pascal Bildstein, of the French Federation, who organizes the event.
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Very popular in Asia
With lots of points and money up for grabs for players, the tournament attracts “the world’s elite”, like the reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1, Korean An Se Young. “The fifteen best players participate,” underlines Pascal Bildstein. The event is widely followed across the globe, with matches broadcast live by around forty television channels, including The Team In France.
“This represents tens of millions of viewers, says Pascal Bildstein. This is less the case in France, but in China, India and Indonesia, these are very popular and well-known players: badminton is followed there as tennis is here. »
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A “very beautiful show”
In Cesson-Sévigné, amateurs and beginners alike can come and watch the different rounds, with players competing at the Glaz Arena on four courts simultaneously. With, on Sunday, the five finals: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The opportunity to attend “a very beautiful show, assured Pascal Bildstein. Badminton is very visual, fast, technical. The players are truly virtuosos! »
Practical : from October 21 to 26, 2025, at the Glaz Arena in Cesson-Sévigné, tickets from €15, ticket office on tickets.yonexifb.com
