On this date in five months’ time, the high-octane badminton action at the Olympic Games will begin.

Come 25 July, Tokyo, the beautiful capital city of Japan, will be ready to provide the world’s best athletes the ultimate battle stage to attain glory.

Over the last two years, the Japan Open at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza offered some glimpses into what players and fans can expect at the world-class arena during the Olympics.

The Yoyogi National Stadium – venue for Para badminton – has been upgraded and its strategic location in central Tokyo adds weight to the belief that there is no better place for the sport to make its Paralympic bow.

The race for Olympic spots is also heating up, with less than two months remaining before the qualification period ends on 26 April.

The BWF World Ranking Lists set to be released two days later will reveal who made the cut.

A total of 172 shuttlers across five categories – men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles – will participate in Tokyo.

Of the defending champions from 2016, Chen Long (men’s singles) and Carolina Marin (women’s singles) are healthily placed in the Race to Tokyo standings while men’s and mixed doubles pairs of Zhang Nan/Fu Haifeng (retired) and Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir have split up.

Meanwhile, women’s doubles gold medallists Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi currently find two Japanese pairs ranked higher than them.

Since becoming available for purchase in May last year, tickets have also been snapped up at a quick rate.

BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund is already bouncing with optimism as the date approaches ever closer for “badminton-knowledgeable Japan” to host the Games.

“When you have that type of audience, you know the sport will be embraced. We look forward to a fantastic Games,” he enthused.

An event not to be missed, so start making your plans to catch the planet’s finest shuttlers in action.

QUICK FACTS

Where is badminton?

Musashino Forest Sports Plaza (Olympics), Yoyogi National Stadium (Paralympics)

When is badminton?

25 July – 3 August (Olympics), 2-6 September (Paralympics)

How to buy tickets?

Japan residents: Tokyo 2020 Official Ticket Website

Overseas residents: Tokyo 2020 Authorised Ticket Reseller List

For more information, go to olympics.bwfbadminton.com.