1929 Singapore Open

Badminton was first introduced in Singapore by the British and was initially played among the British upper-class residing in Singapore. However, the game spread quickly to the rest of the local population which included English-educated elites, civil servants, white-collar workers and Chinese school students. Amid the rising popularity of badminton, badminton enthusiasts started forming clubs, or “parties”, to meet and play the game.[3]

In 1928, an 'unofficial' badminton championship was held by the Amateur Sporting Association in Singapore as there was no national governing body for badminton back then.[4] In 1929, the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) was established to promote the sport and organise competitions and its first official annual open championship was held that same year with the best players chosen to represent Singapore in the regional tournaments.[3] The event organisers were Mr Tan Boo Teck, the first president of SBA and its committee members.[5] The winner will receive the Aw Boon Haw Shield, which was originally presented by Mr Aw Boon Haw to the Amateur Sporting Association.[6]