Canada’s best badminton to be on tap in city

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This article was published 24/01/2020 (2421 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The best badminton players in the country are coming to Winnipeg.

The city’s Prairie Badminton Club will be the home of the 2020 YONEX Canadian National Badminton Championships from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1. Local badminton fanatics are thrilled to host Canada’s top talent for the week.

“It’s huge,” said Manitoba Badminton Association executive director Ryan Giesbrecht.

“It pumps up the sport for everyone involved and it kind of awakens those who are just getting into the sport or playing recreationally who like to see it as a competitive sport. Just seeing it live, it really makes you realize how intense it is and it gives you an even better appreciation for the sport. We just get so many volunteers involved and so many different coaches and players. All the junior players come out and watch and become inspired so it’s a really nice event for that purpose as well.”

Winnipeg hosted the event in 2016 and 2010, but this year’s edition is the first time Badminton Canada is hosting the national championships for both able-bodied and para-badminton at the same time in the same venue. Badminton is making its debut at this summer’s Paralympics in Tokyo.

“It’s really nice that all the spectators coming out will get to see that as well and talk to their friends about it,” Giesbrecht said. “Everyone at this point in time usually knows someone who has some sort of physical disability or someone that may be interested in playing. We’re open to everyone from beginner to all the way to someone who’s already involved athletically with para sport. We’re just trying to make it open for everybody. Accessibility to sport is really important for people’s health mentally and physically.”

In addition to 17 Manitobans competing, there will be Canadian national team members and Olympic hopefuls in town for the event. While a spot on the 2020 Olympics team isn’t officially on the line, Giesbrecht said a strong showing next week is a big step towards cracking the team that heads to Tokyo.

“All of the national team athletes here at this championships will have been playing in international tournaments for a couple of years now building up their ranking. So for them, this national championship will solidify their position and funding for the upcoming year. And then for other people not on the team, it’s them trying to break through that barrier and maybe kick someone off the team so they can get on,” Giesbrecht said.

Of all the locals, the player to keep an eye on is 20-year-old para-athlete Olivia Meier. The Winnipeg native is coming off of an impressive year where she won a gold medal in mixed doubles and a silver in singles at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. She’s currently the No. 11-ranked single competitor in the world. For Meier, who has competed in tournaments in Ireland, Switzerland and Tokyo, a chance to play at home is an incredible opportunity.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to see what badminton is all about and for them to see the high-level athletes,” Meier said. “Badminton isn’t really a sport that is well known in Canada so it’s just great for everybody in Winnipeg to see the sport being played.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31