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Humans of Shuttle Time: Genelyn Lansangan

TEXT BY BWF STAFF

This is the 44th story in our Humans of Shuttle Time series, in which we present the perspectives of those who are involved with badminton at the grassroots level. Genelyn Lansangan, Shuttle Time Youth Leader with Northern Marianas Badminton Association, talks about Shuttle Time and how it has made a difference to her.

Childhood Years

I’m the youngest of three siblings. My family wasn’t wealthy and I wasn’t able to afford equipment for sports. I played soccer, track and field, and then came to badminton a year ago through friends.

The first time I watched it was at my high school interscholastic tournament where my friend was playing. I was amazed by its speed, and I found the rackets and shuttlecock quit interesting.

Relationship With Badminton

I play every day in Saipan. During the summer, I play as much as I can with friends. I train three days a week and play on Saturdays. I also play for the Northern Marianas national junior team and represented them at the U17 Pacific Team Challenge at the Oceania Championships.

Genelyn Lansangan of Northern Marianas

Memorable Moment

My most memorable moment was getting second place at a national competition in Saipan. I hadn’t been playing badminton for that long so the achievement of coming second was fulfilling.

I’ve made a lot of friendships along the way and experienced new places that I otherwise wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for badminton.

What Badminton Means

I love badminton. Badminton is like therapy to me, and without the connections I’ve made through badminton my skills wouldn’t be as good as they are currently. Overall, without badminton I feel empty.

Genelyn Lansangan

What Makes it Different

Badminton is not very well known in some places and some people even think it’s weird but in reality it’s mentally and physically challenging. People tend to underestimate the sport. What I most enjoy is how challenging it can be.

Developing Badminton

Through the Shuttle Time Youth Leadership programme I’ve line judged at middle school tournaments in Saipan as well as the Northern Marianas International. I’ve noticed badminton growing in schools recently, especially among teenagers.

Impact of Shuttle Time

Through the Youth Leadership programme I’ve learned how to be a leader and to utilise different styles of leadership to help others grow. Shuttle Time helped me gain knowledge and experience about being a role model through badminton.

Previous Stories in This Series

Humans of Shuttle Time: Paulo Jerome Niniano Quidato

Humans of Shuttle Time: Josefa Matasau

Humans of Shuttle Time: Richard Gregory Wong

Humans of Shuttle Time: Alessandro Redaelli

Humans of Shuttle Time: Veronika Protassova

Humans of Shuttle Time: Robbert De Keijzer

Humans of Shuttle Time: Carolina M Vaughn

Humans of Shuttle Time: Sam Paterson

Humans of Shuttle Time: Deki Tshomo

Humans of Shuttle Time: Hadeel Mohammad Alomari

Humans of Shuttle Time: Daiverson Ferrari Rodrigues