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Humans of Shuttle Time Damo Enou Marc

TEXT BY BWF STAFF

This is the 70th 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. Damo Enou Marc, Assistant Shuttle Time Coordinator with Ivory Coast Badminton Federation, talks of his journey in badminton.

Childhood Days

I was born in Port Bouët, a district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. I grew up in a modest family; my late father was an athlete and painter. My entire childhood was steeped in football, in an environment where you had to fight to earn your place. I spent my later childhood in Gonzaque Ville, a neighbourhood of Port Bouët where the electricity was very often unreliable, making it difficult for us to study some evenings. In 8th grade, I was forbidden from touching a football. So I hid to play with friends at school. After graduating from high school in 2003, I was admitted to the National Institute of Youth and Sports to train as a Physical Education teacher. I fully immersed myself in sports in general, and from my very first year, I was the goalkeeper for the INJS football team, a role I held for the four years that followed my training.

Shuttle Time in Ivory Coast

First Experience

I discovered a racket and shuttlecock in 2014 on a football pitch with my friend Stéphane Kouamé in the municipality of Marcory, Coordinator of Shuttle Time. In 2015, he invited me to participate in a Shuttle Time Teacher Training programme. In just one day, I distinguished myself from my peers, which encouraged me to continue. That same year, I sent five of my athletes to the championship, where one of them, Gnonséka Grâce, became the junior champion. It was a tremendous pleasure for me. After becoming African champion in the Maracana with Ivory Coast, I was forced to leave football due to a serious knee injury. After months of recovery, friends convinced me to dedicate myself solely to badminton. And since then, I’ve always been with my loyal friends, racket and shuttlecock.

Relationship with Badminton

Badminton is my favourite sport. I’ve had the privilege of deepening my understanding of the sport through various training seminars, notably in China in 2018 and Malaysia in 2022. Today, I owe the creation of my badminton academy in my region to New Vision Badminton Academy of Malaysia. I emerged from this training greatly enriched, both technically and tactically, as a coach. My ambition is to establish this model of sports structure here in my country so that athletes can shine on the African stage. To achieve this, I dedicate all my time to training children in my region.

Shuttle Time in Ivory Coast

Memorable Events

My most memorable moment is my first badminton match against my coach, Stéphane Kouamé, with whom I scored some good points despite losing. My first trophy as a coach in 2015 was a special moment. Also, passing my BWF Level 1 exam while dealing with a knee injury that was causing me enormous problems.

What Badminton Means

For me, badminton represents a sport full of values. I think that physically, the intensity this sport demands is incredible, and even more so mentally, which is the most interesting aspect. I no longer have any other favourite sport besides badminton.

Developing Badminton in the Community

I choose to focus on training very young children. With them, you have the time to shape them properly. This is why I’m involved in the high schools and middle schools in my region, where I request access to the younger grades so I can integrate badminton into their curriculum. After training sessions, those who stand out are pre-selected to represent their respective schools. Following this, they are chosen to participate in the national championship. I recruit colleagues and even trainees to introduce them to the sport so they can take over in their schools, and then I support them by providing ongoing guidance.

Shuttle Time in Ivory Coast

Impact of Shuttle Time

The Shuttle Time system has had a positive impact in my region, given that badminton was introduced into school sports this year by the Ivorian Office of School and University Sports (OISSU). Some surrounding regions have contacted me about implementing badminton in their schools, which will increase the number of players in the eastern part of the country.

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