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Anona Pak seizes lockdown opportunity to dust off her lab coat and pick up a sixth language

Pictured: Anona Pak, New Zealand. Photo credit: Badminton Photo After taking home silver in last year’s Sydney International and this year’s VICTOR Oceania Women’s Team Championships in Ballarat, New Zealand’s Anona Pak was ready to embark on an eight-week tournament stint around Europe as she pursued Olympic qualification with mixed doubles partner, Oliver Leydon-Davis. Oliver…

Six-time Oceania champion, Wendy Chen, overcoming anxiety with goal-setting

“It was difficult to adjust to new lifestyle at the beginning, lives just kind of stopped all of a sudden” The sudden interruption of the COVID-19 pandemic had athletes all around the world rethinking their choices. For Australia’s six-time continental champion, Wendy Chen, a strategically planned tournament calendar was quickly made redundant. Despite the six…

Oceania players connect online in search of training, tactics, community and kindness

Seven Para badminton players extended their isolation bubble via Zoom conference call this week, connecting wheelchair athletes from New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia to maintain the community spirit which thrives on Oceania’s Para badminton scene. Adapting to the COVID-19 era, Papua New Guinea’s coach (Brian Karo) joined Badminton Oceania’s Coaching and Development Officer…

The landscape and peace of the island helps history-maker, Louis Beaubois, build on World Junior Championships preparations

Pictured: Tahiti’s Louis Beaubois holding a #WhiteCard to celebrate International Day of Sport Development and Peace Louis Beaubois made history last year alongside Teiva Politi as they became the first juniors from Tahiti to compete at the BWF World Junior Championships 2019. The recently turned 18-year-old has every intention of competing again this year as…