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…

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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…

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How can badminton can boost your mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Remember the study from 2019 which found that badminton could be better for your brain, compared to running on a treadmill? In an experiment led by Shinji Takahashi at Tohoku Gakuin University, 20 participants took a cognitive test before and after exercise. The results found that performance was boosted after participants played a complex sport, like…

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VICTOR announced as first badminton brand to take the AirShuttle to market

VICTOR is also a proud sponsor of Badminton Oceania; collaborating on international events and development projects to provide equipment and apparel. Badminton Oceania will be including two tubes of the VICTOR AirShuttle to each Shuttle Time school set distributed to our Pacific Island members once the restrictions of COVID-19 are lifted. Similarly, the Oceania member…

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Tinabora and Tietiera empowering women in Kiribati on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

Teitiria Utimawa and Tinabora Takeiaki are jumping for joy as their inspiring success is rippling across the Pacific to their home country Kiribati, where more women are being inspired to play badminton. Having based themselves in Melbourne over the last year with coach, Dean Lewis, the girls have stormed into the Oceania badminton scene. With…

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From pilot to performance: Tonga celebrating ninth year of Shuttle Time on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

In 2011, Tonga became the first country in the world to pilot the BWF Shuttle Time programme. Since it’s inception nine years ago, the initiative has gone on to provide communities and schools with badminton equipment and platforms to learn in over 130 countries. At the time, Badminton Oceania’s Development Manager, Nadia Bleaken, was new…

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Gronya Somerville: ‘I plan to bring my Sports Science Degree skills out during this time’

Pictured: Gronya Somerville, Australia. Photo credit: Badminton Photo It wasn’t until mixed doubles partner, Simon Leung, brought up the COVID-19 topic at the end of January that Somerville learnt of the virus. While competing in the Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters 2020 in January, Leung reached out to alert Gronya about the unfolding events in China,…

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Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – Postponed

BWF MEDIA STATEMENT International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons welcomed yesterday’s decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. IOC President Thomas Bach and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe confirmed the postponement of the the Olympic Games decision after conference call among leaders on Tuesday. Parsons said in a statement: “Postponing the Tokyo…

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Recovering from injury and adapting during this ‘disheartening time’ – Australia’s Setyana Mapasa

Pictured: Setyana Mapasa, Australia. Photo credit: Badminton Photo As the world copes with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, athletes across the globe are learning to cope with the new, unforeseen circumstances which will shape their future careers. The International Olympic Committee has yet to make a decision on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, following their official…

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Whirlwind journey for New Zealand’s Olympic hopefuls as COVID-19 halts tour of Europe

Pictured: Oliver Leydon-Davis and Anona Pak, New Zealand. Photo Credit: Luis Veniegra Photography Last month, New Zealand trio Abhinav Manota, Oliver Leydon-Davis and Anona Pak enjoyed shared success at the VICTOR Oceania Championships as Manota took home two individual Gold medals in the men’s singles and doubles (alongside Leydon-Davis), while all three took home a…

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