The two-week long BWF World Junior Championships 2024 in Nanchang provided the perfect opportunity for BWF to reach out to the emerging generation of badminton players from all over the world with a range of developmental initiatives.
These included a three-day BWF Youth Athlete Development Training Camp and Shuttle Time Youth Leadership workshop, which were conducted before the start of competition, and player education and Integrity programmes, which ran during the course of the championships.
An Athlete365+ session in progress
The training camp (26-28 September) was conducted by former Chinese internationals and Olympic medallists Chen Jin and Huang Nanyan, and attended by 57 players from six teams. Covering basic skills and match tactics in singles and doubles, the camp was funded by Olympic Solidarity and supported by Chinese Badminton Association and local partners.
Alongside, the Shuttle Time Youth Leadership workshop provided an opportunity for players to learn delivery of Shuttle Time activities in schools and communities. Players explored ways to combine their knowledge of badminton with group management techniques, communication skills, and leadership qualities. The hands-on session gave the young players valuable experience in leading sessions and encouraged them to reflect on how they can be agents of change within their communities.
The education initiatives included BWF Player Education info sessions and IOC Athlete365+ classroom sessions and an information booth, with quiz cards on badminton making it a fun experience.
The BWF Player Education info sessions were delivered by BWF Development Manager Erica Khoo and Assistant Development Manager Tracy Tan, addressing the various career prospects that can be explored by badminton players and scholarship programmes instituted by BWF to help athletes upskill and prepare for their future.
The information booth at the World Juniors
The IOC workshops, conducted by BWF Head of Educational Programmes Sharon Springer, offered an interactive way for players to reflect on their strengths and follow up on natural abilities, which would help them make appropriate career choices.
Overall, these developmental initiatives received tremendous response from the participants and team officials.
Positive Response
Armenia manager Lilit Poghosyan was all praise for the educational programmes: “When I came to the World Junior Championships, I thought it would be only badminton, but it’s fun that there are so many opportunities outside badminton and we could meet many people and get to know the different BWF projects. It’s really cool.
“One of my players decided she would become an umpire when she finishes her playing career. There are a lot of big opportunities for them, they know they can stay in badminton and their parents also know. It’s amazing that there are a lot of opportunities when they finish with badminton.”
Chen Jin and Huang Nanyan address the participants of the training camp
Sri Lankan player Rashmi Mudalige was thankful for the educational programmes that she had been made aware of.
“I was in the Shuttle Time Youth Leadership workshop, so we made friends with everyone because we were in groups and also we got to know BWF so we got to learn a lot from that,” Mudalige said. “The information was useful because they helped us to identify our purpose and what we’re interested in after our career.”
Highlights:
*127 Athlete Certificate Scholarships were offered to interested players and Member Associations (in partnership with World Academy of Sport)
*93 players from 14 teams (Trinidad & Tobago, Armenia, UAE, Estonia, Latvia, New Zealand, Uganda, Bulgaria, Sri Lanka, Cook Islands, Northern Marianas, Philippines, Peru and Mauritius) completed the IOC Athlete365 Career+ Self Discovery workshop
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