Russian Open White Nights-2011 badminton

The Russian Open International Challenge badminton tournament (White Nights 2011) is currently underway at St. Petersburg in Russia from the 6th to 10th Jul-2011.


White Nights in Russia
Picture of Daylight taken at 11pm in the night
(Image source - Wikipedia)

 The name 'White Nights' given to the tournament originates from the peculiar geographical phenomenon observed at St. Petersburg in Russia every year in the bright summer season  (from late May to early July), when the nights here are as bright as early evenings.

This happens because the St.Petersburg city in Russia is the world's northern-most city with the highest latitude, and hence the sun which rises on the east, and sets in the west gives some of its sun-light to this northern city even in the night.

Sunsets here are very late, and Sunrises are very early here and hence the dusk meets dawn, giving some sunlight even in the night.

Coming back to badminton, this international tournament is being conducted immediately after the Grand Prix tournament that concluded on 4-Jul, and hence many of the players there would be playing in this event also.

The top seeds in the men's and women's singles events at this badminton tournament are as below:

Men's Singles:
Top seed: Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland
2nd seed: Kestutis Navickas of Lithuania.

Women's Singles:
Top seed: Olga Konon of Germany
2nd seed: Susan Egelstaff of Scotland

.