ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: Pakistan's first and biggest international badminton party is set to explode into action on Friday at the Liaquat Gymnasium.

The Pakistan International Satellite Tournament, featuring over 50 players from six nations including the hosts, promises to provide quality badminton.

President of the Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF), Saiyed Mohib Asad told a news conference on Thursday that the tournament featuring India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan and Nepal carries a prize purse of $9,000.

Ikeda Yuichi of Japan is the top seed in the men's singles competition with Indian Gupta Abhinn Shyam the No 2 seed. On the women's side BR Meenakshi, another Indian heads the seedings with her compatriot Govardhini Sharada the second seed.

The Iranian duo of Eskandare Jalal and Baghere Gholamreza are the No 1 seeds in the men's doubles followed by the Indonesian pair of Bagus Suprobo and Stenny Kasuma. "It is an honour for us to be hosting this mega event," Asad said.

The events to be contested are men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Meanwhile, Asad said that the PBF now planned to focus on under- 19 players and would send them to take part in the Asian Junior Championship next year.

Plans are also afoot to have two senior and as many junior players trained at the Prakash Academy in Bangalore or a training academy in Indonesia. But Asad said that his federation's top priority was to acquire the services of a good foreign coach, for which efforts were on.