In a dramatic ending to the AIG VICTOR Irish Open, Nhat Nguyen etched his name in Irish badminton history as the first Irish player to win consecutive titles since Colin Bell in 1973, performing before a packed National Indoor Arena in Dublin.
Nguyen's final battle was against Malaysia’s Tan Jia Jie, ending in a nail-biting three-game match, 22-20, 14-21, 21-19. The match saw Nguyen secure a close first game, followed by Jia Jie dominating the second. The decider was tense, with Nguyen initially pulling ahead 10-5, but Tan closed the gap, keeping the outcome uncertain until the final points, but Nguyen ultimately got to seal the deal to win the title, 21-19.
The Irish Open had strong performances across the board from the Europeans, reaching four of the five finals. In the mixed doubles final, Callum Hemming/ Estelle Van Leeuwen won against Rasmus Espersen/ Amalie Cecilie Kudsk, 19-21, 21-18, 21-14. The men’s doubles saw William Kryger Boe/ Christian Faust Kjær take the title, decisively defeating the top-seeded Grimley twins, 21-15 21-8. Natsja P. Anthonisen/ Maiken Fruergaard clinched the women's doubles title with a 21-19 21-19 win over Chloe Birch/ Estelle Van Leeuwen.
The badminton action doesn't stop here; the Scottish Open 2024 is up next. The prestigious International Challenge event runs from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 November. Watch all the matches live on
BadmintonEurope.tv.