TWO-TIME defending national champion Rahul Rampersad and Anil Seepaul will be among the players competing in the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association's Open Doubles Tournament over the next two days at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena (CRISA), in Chaguanas.

Rampersad, who reached the quarterfinals of the Caribbean Badminton Championships late last month and then captured the mixed doubles gold medal with Solange Guzman in the Venezuelan Open, will be combining with former top junior Justin Siu.

Rampersad and Siu were runners-up at the National Championships last month and are the favourites to capture this title in the absence of their conquerors Kerwyn Pantin and Keston Friday.

Seepaul is making a return after a short absence, and the five-time national singles champ as well as multiple national doubles and mixed doubles champ is combining with German Milind Ogale.

Roger Moore, who helped Guzman win the national mixed doubles title, will be assisted by Mark Springer.

The other players to watch out for from the field of 20 pairs are Matthaus Wilford and Jason Ramjass.

The youngsters are the defending national under-19 doubles champs, while Wilford has beaten last year's national under-17 singles champ Ramjass for the under-19 crown over the last two years.

Since it is an open tournament, the women and men will be competing in the same draw, but there are very few female pairs involved, and they are all juniors.

Action will begin in round-robin groups at 9 a.m. today, while the knockout phase will take place from 9 a.m. tomorrow.