Scottish Stars Set for AIG VICTOR Irish Open Challenge
10th November 2026 by Robert McLean
A huge cohort of Scottish players head to Dublin this week for the AIG VICTOR Irish Open, the first of three major events taking place across the UK and Ireland over the coming weeks.
Play gets underway tomorrow, with a number of Scottish players involved in the opening day’s action as they look to book their places in the main draw and make a strong start to the tournament.
Men’s Singles
Ganesh Balaji is the only Scottish singles player beginning his campaign in the last 64 of qualifying. He faces Belgium’s world number 483, Baptiste Rolin, with a place in the last 32 of qualifying at stake.
The remaining Scottish men’s singles players all begin from the last 32 qualifying stage.
Finlay Jack will face either Ireland’s Charan Rajulapati or the Netherlands’ Eversdijk, while eighth seed in qualifying Matthew Waring awaits the winner of the meeting between Ireland’s Dharan Rajulapati and South Korea’s Lee.
Angus Meldrum will take on either England’s Rex Lee or Sweden’s Tim Mörk, while James Robertson rounds off the Scottish men’s singles contingent. He will face either England’s Nair or Ireland’s Frost, with a place in the last 16 of qualifying on offer.
Men’s Doubles
There is also plenty of Scottish interest in the men’s doubles on the opening day.
Blair Tait and Lewis Smith take on Ireland’s Walsh and McAllister as they look to secure their place in the qualifying quarter-finals.
Ben Ho also features, partnering Irishman Michael Flanagan. The pair face Ireland’s Frost and Vallapureddy, with a qualifying quarter-final place also up for grabs.
Mixed Doubles
Adam Pringle and Brooke Stalker complete the Scottish involvement on the opening day as they take on England’s Cheng and Ambrose in the mixed doubles.
A victory would guarantee the Scottish pairing a place in the main draw, making it an important opening test for the duo.
High Hopes for the Main Draw
The remainder of the Scottish squad will begin their campaigns in the main draw later in the week, with expectations high for another strong showing on the international stage.
The Grimley brothers, Ciara and Julie, and Alex and Julie all arrive in Dublin as number one seeds in their respective disciplines, putting them firmly among the players to watch as the tournament unfolds.
With top seeding comes added expectation, but the Scottish contingent will be targeting strong performances and, ultimately, medal success across the different events.
The team will also benefit from the experience and guidance of National Coach Raj Ouseph, who will be alongside the players throughout the week.
With a busy opening schedule and plenty of Scottish interest across the draws, there is much to look forward to in Dublin as the AIG VICTOR Irish Open gets underway.
You can follow all the action live on Badminton Europe TV:
https://www.badmintoneurope.tv/en-int/page/home-badminton-europe
We wish all our Scottish players the very best of luck in Dublin!