Pictured: Duke Trench-Thiedeman, competing at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships 2019. Photo credit: Badminton Photo
Duke Trench-Thiedeman is Badminton Oceania’s Para Badminton Players Advisor, advocating for the development of Para badminton across the continent.
The Australian wheelchair player is a popular figure among Oceania’s Para badminton scene, having competed in the last (and only) two Continental Para Badminton Championships, which made its debut in 2018, before taking place alongside the able-bodied Championships in 2020.
Recently, it was announced that the VICTOR Oceania Para Badminton Championships will be taking place again this year (the first international tournament hosted by Badminton Oceania since the pandemic began) from 29-31 July 2022 at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre.
He is also Oceania’s sole representative in the recently announced nominations for six vacant positions on the Para Badminton Athletes’ Commission 2022-2025. In total, the BWF received 11 nominations, including:
- Duke Trench Thiedeman (Australia)
- Raul Eduardo Anguiano Araujo (Guatemala)
- Amy Burnett (USA)
- Daniel Chan Ho Yuen (Hong Kong China)
- Ahmed Magdy Armin Eldakrory (Egypt)
- Manasi Joshi (India)
- Palak Kohli (India)
- To Man-Kei (Belgium)
- Richard Perot (France)
- Cathrine Rosengren (Denmark)
- Manoj Sarkar (India)
Talking about his ambitions and motivations to be a part of the BWF’s commission, Duke said:
“I am delighted to have this opportunity to contribute my ideas and perspectives to the BWF’s Para Badminton Athletes’ Commission. If my nomination is successful, I would like to assist the development and growth of the game and ensure the needs of Para badminton players from Oceania and beyond are pro-actively pursued by the Badminton World Federation“, says Duke.
Elections for the six positions will be held online on 11 March 2022.
Any Para badminton player who wishes to vote in the elections must register online first. Only those who are aged 18 or above (as on 11 March 2021) can vote. Voters should also be in ‘good standing’ with their respective Member Associations; be an ‘active player’ (in the Para badminton World Ranking as on 20 December 2021); and be registered to vote by the deadline (48 hours before the elections).
The elections will open for the registered voters at 5pm (KL time) and close at 10pm (KL time) on Friday 11 March 2022.
The Para Badminton Athletes’ Commission has a four-year term, from 2022 up to 2025. The new Commission will elect the Chair and Deputy Chair; the Chair of the Commission then becomes a BWF Council member for four years.
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