When Chrissa Pearce moved from Wellington to Auckland, she couldn’t find a badminton club that suited her. But rather than simply searching, the Special Olympics New Zealand Athlete Leader wanted to help create something new—a badminton programme that would welcome people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the Auckland region. “My background playing badminton was…
Andika Ramadiansyah/Nozomi Shimizu (AUS) rocked the QuayCentre this evening in a match that had the crowd on their feet. In the mixed doubles Round of 32 at the SATHIO GROUP Australian Badminton Open 2025, the No. 153 duo faced seventh seeds and world No. 21 pair, Hoo Pang Ron/Cheng Su Yin (MAS) The Australian pair…
Jacklynda Molidu picked up a badminton racket for the first time in December last year. Today she just made her first international final. The Vanuatu native secured a spot in tomorrow’s YONEX Australian Para Badminton International WS SH6 final after a decisive win over Australia’s Sarah Keenahan. “I’m so grateful and proud to have made…
As Lochan Cowper watched the shuttle fall out beside him, the crowd erupted into applause. His teammates, his past and future opponents, everyone cheered while he shook hands with his opponent, Chinese Taipei’s Shiau-Wei Dung at the YONEX Australian Para Badminton International 2025. “It was genuinely lovely to see everyone supporting me,” Cowper said. “I’m…
Bendigo’s become the epicentre of Para Badminton in Oceania this month, with back to back international tournaments. Today marked the first day of the YONEX Australian Bendigo International 2025, and it lived up to expectations. WIth close matches and dominant displays, today had it all. In the XD SL-3 SU5 category, Australia’s Michael Simpkins and…
Celine Vinot and Caitlin Dransfield are no strangers. They’ve been opponents. They’ve been teammates. And, the two Australians have both represented their country on the world stage—Dransfield at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and Vinot at Paris 2024. Both in the SL3 classification, their match was a highly-anticipated affair, with other players and supporters lining the courtside.…
The third day of the YONEX Bendigo International delivered a flurry of upsets, breakthroughs, and edge-of-your-seat battles that kept fans glued to the action. In a stunning turn of events, Japan’s Nodoka Sunakawa sent shockwaves through the women’s singles draw by ousting top seed Tasnim Mir of India. Sunakawa’s calm under pressure and tactical precision…
The second day of the YONEX Bendigo International 2025 saw players settle into rhythm, with standout performances across singles and doubles disciplines. As the draw narrows, the intensity on court is rising, but so is the sense of focus and finesse from those determined to go deep in the tournament. From commanding wins to edge-of-your-seat…
As the final Grade Three tournament in Oceania for the year, the YONEX Bendigo International promised to deliver the thrills and excitement of high-quality badminton. With one last chance to prove themselves, players left everything on the court as they began their campaign on day one. The first two grade three tournaments in Oceania didn’t…
While the top seeds held their ground on day two of the ROKETTO Sydney International 2025, several players made it clear they’re not here just to make up the numbers. Men’s Singles Top seed Wang Po-Wei (TPE) was pushed to the limit by Japan’s Koshiro Moriguchi in a match that stretched over 45 minutes. After…