For five days in October, the courts at the Telecom Sports Arena belonged to the next generation. More than 20 young players from Rarotonga and Aitutaki took part in the Future Talent Player Camp, which ran from 12 to 16 October as part of the BOC Tier 3 Player Development Programme.
Led by Dhanny Oud, BOC’s Development Officer, the camp is one part of the Future Talent Programme. The young players were identified earlier this year after progressing through the BWF Shuttle Time programme in schools. Since then, the players have been training two times per week since May under the guidance of BWF Level 1 coaches in the Cook Islands. During the BOC-led camp, two sessions a day gave both Cook Islands coaches and players a taste of a new level of intensity, along with coaching and playing styles they hadn’t experienced before.
The formal invitations went to Rarotonga’s players, but organisers knew badminton was also being played in Aitutaki, so players and coaches from the island were invited to join the five-day camp as well.
The camp wasn’t just for the players. Coaches had the chance to watch Dhanny, a BWF Level 3 Coach, at work. CIBA leaders Ahkim Tikaroa and Hebrew Tom were on site every day, and among the Aitutaki contingent was team manager Ana Jessie-Pareanga. She isn’t their official team coach but travelled to pick up new skills to share back home.
The theme for the week was technical skills from the front court. The idea was that mastering these skills would open up more options as the players progress and grow stronger. Alongside the technical work, they also covered tactics, match play and fitness testing.
By the end of the week, the players had impressed even those running the sessions. “Seeing the kids perform even better than we expected, seeing what some of them were capable of was really awesome” said Dhanny.
The Future Talent Programme is in its first year, and it strips the focus back to fundamentals. At the moment, much of the attention for Member Associations sits in the U15 and U17 categories. By building quality technical skills at an earlier age, the programme aims to keep players in the sport for longer and lift the standard of play once they reach U17 and U19 level.
The Cook Islands is one of two MA’s piloting the Future Talent Programme in 2026. The other rollout was in the Northern Mariana Islands. They held their Future Talent Player Camp alongside the two international tournaments in Saipan earlier in the year, also delivered by Dhanny.
“This type of exposure at their age is crucial for their long-term athletic development,” he said. “These steps now are pivotal for broadening what’s possible for them in the future.”
The camp is only a starting point. What happens in the weeks and months after, in training halls in Rarotonga and Aitutaki, will decide how much of it sticks. The players now have a new set of front court skills to practise, and the coaches have seen a different way of running a session. Whether either of those shows up in everyday training is up to the players, their coaches and the families and clubs behind them. If it does, this week will be remembered less for the five days themselves than for what the young players are able to do with them over the seasons that follow.
