Tickets for the Team Championship, which are set to feature many of the world’s top players from over 30 different nations including stars from Beijing such as British Olympians Nathan Robertson, Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg (pictured), have gone on sale at www.accliverpool.com with prices starting at just £12 for adults and £3 for children.

 

The event is due to take place between February 10 and 15.

 

At today’s ticket launch, England stars Jenny Wallwork and Chris Langridge took part in master classes with youngsters in Liverpool.

 

Wallwork, who was part of the England squad that took silver at the  European Championships in Denmark in April, said, “The European Championships are one of the biggest events in the world and coming from the North-West it will be incredible to play in front of a home crowd.”

 

It will be part of a spectacular badminton double for the area as Manchester as the the MEN Arena in Manchester will play host to the European Individual Championships in April 2010.

 

While Manchester has a rich heritage in staging top level badminton tournaments, having hosted the Commonwealth Games and being the regular home to the annual National Championships, the 2009 European Team Championship will be Liverpool’s first major badminton tournament.

 

It will also be the first time that the European Championships have been staged in England since Preston hosted the event in 1984.

 

Adrian Christy, Chief Executive of Badminton England said, “It is great for badminton in England, and particularly in the North-West, that such significant tournaments will be staged here over the next couple of years.

 

“Recent surveys have shown that badminton is the largest participation racket sport in England and the European Championships will allow us to build upon this popularity.”   

 

Peter Mearns, the executive director of marketing at the North West Development Ageny, said: “The European Team and individual Championships are major events capable of attracting large numbers of visitors to the region and enhancing the profile of Liverpool and Manchester as ideal tourism destinations and venues for staging world-class sporting events.

 

“The Championships will make a significant contribution to the regional economy and will further project Liverpool and Manchester on the international stage, carrying on the legacy from Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year and Manchester’s World Sport 08 – both of which have been a resounding success.”

 

There will be a 10 per cent discount on all tickets bought before December 31 2008 and all Team Championship ticket purchasers will be given a 10 per cent discount on tickets for the Individual Championships when they go on sale next year.