Former European badminton champion Darren Hall heads the list of entries for the Irish International Championships which get under way in Baldoyle today.

The event is a fully-accredited European Badminton Union circuit tournament, one of only 15 in the calendar, and has attracted over 120 competitors from the USA, Canada and all over Europe, including all the leading Irish players.

Hall, who was coached for almost 20 years by Ray Stevens before Stevens was appointed Irish national coach last season, is top seed in the men's singles event, followed by fellow Englishman Robert Nock, Niels Kaldam of Denmark and Belgium's Pedro Vaneste. Sweden's Kristin Evernas and Karolina Ericsson top the women's seedings ahead of defending champion Perville Harder of Denmark.