Gallur is the undisputed venue of the Spain Masters
For the second consecutive year, the Gallur Municipal Sports Centre will host an HSBC World Tour event from 26th to 31st March. At first glance, it might seem crazy to organise a badminton tournament in a location like this. However, having hosted the European Championships in 2022 it already had good references. And since the last edition of this Super 300 was such a success , it confirms this location as a magnificent option for holding all kinds of sports events. The Scottish Open had already use a similar facility for the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, so why not in Madrid?
The Gallur Municipal Sports Centre in Madrid has been consolidated as the venue for this tournament thanks to the great institutional support received by the Madrid City Council and the trust the Spanish Badminton Federation has in it.
Located in the district of La Latina, in the neighbourhood of Los Cármenes, Gallur offers a wide variety of sports. Although its renown comes from its impressive indoor athletics track. But how does this relate to badminton or other sports? With its nearly 70,000 square metres, Gallur will once again be almost magically transformed by the Spanish Badminton Federation team.
Starting from the roof, the first step is to darken the hall, also known as the ‘blackout’ effect. It will be necessary to climb to the top of the building to cover the skylights of the roof with black canvas. Then, once inside, the rest of the windows will be covered as well. This has to be done to ensure the visibility of the shuttle is optimal against a dark background.
The second step is to work on the central surface of the hall. The central playing track will be covered with the SDI Sports wooden flooring that was previously used for the European Championships 2022 and the first edition of the Spain Masters in Madrid. The four competition mats and the warm-up area will be laid out on it. The rest of the space will be covered with 2,500 square metres of carpet. For this second step, around 3,500 metres of double-sided tape, 100 metres of duct tape and approximately 2,000 ties will be needed. It is a precision job in which each piece must fit perfectly so that the hall looks at the best. It may seem simple, but the assembly of the carpets alone involves joining four strips of 15.40 metres by 1.80 metres to the millimetre, which add up to 400 kg of weight per court.
The third phase will complete the look&feel of the venue. Hundreds of metres of canvas, vinyls and other elements make up the image of the event, the hallmark of which is the iconic bear leaning on a giant shuttlecock that serves as the arbutus, the symbol of the city adapted to badminton.
A large screen will preside over the competition area and will show all kinds of content, adding even more to the show apart from the matches, which are, of course, the main attraction.
All this so that the top players in the world can give their best and make the Spanish audience once again enjoy the opportunity to see their idols live and direct. Are you really going to miss it?
The tournament can be followed on the BWF and Badminton Spain digital platforms, but if you want to see your idols live, come to the Gallur. From Tuesday 26 March to 29 March, admission will be free. For those who want to enjoy the semi-finals and finals live, tickets can be purchased in this link.
