India Open Super 750: BAI announces free passes for fans

In an exciting new development at the India Open, badminton fans of the country will be able to avail free passes for the Super 750. The event begins on Tuesday, January 16, and will conclude on January 24.

Taking place at the IG Stadium in Delhi, the tournament will feature some of the world's best players. After an enthralling season opener at the Malaysia Open last week, sporting enthusiasts from India will now be able to catch the live action as the badminton world prepares for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

In a surprise announcement, the Badminton Association of India declared earlier today (January 15) that free passes to the India Open will be made available for all fans.

Viewers can head to Gate No. 7 at the IG Stadium to get free tickets for the next day's matches. The passes are limited and on a first come first serve basis and will be distributed between 10 am and 4 pm daily in Delhi.

India Open Super 750: Gold medal hopefuls for the country

There will be plenty of home players taking to the court in Delhi at the India Open. The country's best shot for a title will be the men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The second seeds had a strong outing in Malaysia earlier, where they finished with a silver.

In the men's singles event, there will be some fierce competitors from India, as HS Prannoy, Srikanth Kidambi and Lakshya Sen will all be in action. While Prannoy didn't have the best time in Kuala Lumpur, he remains the country's best hope for a top-of-the-podium finish in Delhi later this week.

The women's doubles duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto also hold the capacity to finish on the podium. The pair was knocked out in the quarterfinals at the Malaysia Open but they certainly put up a strong fight before going down to their Japanese opponents.

This time around, a little bit of luck and plenty of support from the crowd might see Ponnappa and Crasto make it all the way to the gold.