The Yonex - Sunrise Vietnam 2012 open international tournament will take place at Phan Dinh Phung Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City from August 20 to 26, but the city is concerned about possible poor attendance at the event.The 2012 edition will attract 323 players from 13 nations and territories, the largest number ever, who will be competing at five events: men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. The total cash prize is worth US$50,000, with the singles champion set to receive $3,750. The organizers have managed to sell the TV rights to a Hong Kong partner, who will broadcast the tournament to badminton fans in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Indonesia, according to Huynh Thi Ngoc Lien, deputy chairwoman of the HCMC Badminton Federation. However, Lien added that the city is unhappy as there will be very few host players at the event. “For instance, in the main round of the men’s singles event, Nguyen Tien Minh will be the only representative for Vietnam, while the women’s doubles only has the duo of Nguyen Thi Sen and Vu Thi Trang,” she told Tuoi Tre. No Vietnam players qualified for the main round of the remaining three events, women’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles. “Some 40 local players have registered for the tournament, but half of them are on the pending list as their ability does not meet requirements,” she explained. The country had many representatives at previous editions, but the number of athletes has declined gradually. Malaysia will have the largest team at the event with 72 players, followed by Thailand, 52, and Indonesia, 41. Vietnamese badminton star Minh, who had a below par performance at the recently-closed London Olympics, is seeded number 1 at the tournament. Once Minh, the world number 11, bids goodbye to professional badminton, the Yonex - Sunrise Vietnam open tournament may become a playground merely for foreign contenders. Concern will continue to increase, then, on how many Vietnamese spectators will go to the stadium to watch a tourney without any local players.