Motherwell's Alex Dunn leads Lanarkshire charge at Scottish Open

Motherwell’s Alex Dunn leads the Lanarkshire hopefuls at the Scottish Open Badminton Championships in Glasgow later this month.

Bothwell’s Kirsty Gilmour will miss the event, as she is on a tour of China, Hong Kong and Korea to ensure she qualifies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so her singles title is up for grabs.

Dunn will partner Adam Hall from Mauchline in the men’s doubles, with Hall also teaming up with Julie MacPherson in mixed doubles at the event, which runs at the Emirates Arena from November 21-24. Both pairs are likely to be seeded.

A total of 306 athletes from 40 countries and all five continents have entered the third-oldest tournament in world badminton. Teams have travelled from nations such as Australia and Brazil.

So large is the entry that all events have qualification draws, which will be played on Thursday, November 21. Four out of the five events also have players on the waiting list, with 18 on the women's singles reserve list and a massive 65 on the waiting list for men's singles.

Badminton Scotland's chief executive Keith Russell said: "We are delighted to have attracted so many athletes from all over the world to this year's Scottish Open badminton championships.

"We have a good mix of established international players, previous Scottish Open champions, and exciting young talent, with the potential for some high quality matches right from the start of the event.

"I would encourage all Scottish badminton fans to take the opportunity that the Scottish Open provides, to see elite level badminton on home soil, and enjoy the family-friendly, festival-like atmosphere that the event creates."