Badminton rackets will last years, but strings snap regularly so you need to keep extra on hand. Raza recommends the Yonex BG65 as a good all-purpose string for any player.

This marked the fourth edition of UAE’s World Badminton Day celebrations, previously held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. But for Al Ain — often described as the oasis city — this was a first.