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…
Finals day at the VICTOR Oceania Para Badminton Championships was held alongside the YONEX Bendigo International, creating a unique environment where para and able-bodied athletes competed in parallel. The shared venue brought both tournaments together, not just logistically, but socially. Players from each event watched the other’s finals, filling the bleachers and lining the courtsides.…
In a match that had the crowd holding its breath, Thomas Slade and Regina Edward delivered a performance to remember at the VICTOR Oceania Para Badminton Championships, overcoming Lachlan Boulton and Amonrat Jamporn (AUS) in a three-game thriller that will go down as one of the tournament’s most gripping encounters. The opening game saw Slade…
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.…
A Landmark Week for Para Badminton in Oceania This week marks a significant milestone for para badminton, not just globally, but especially within Oceania. The VICTOR Oceania Para Badminton Championships 2025 have officially begun, bringing together athletes from across the region in a celebration of skill, resilience, and sporting spirit. This fifth edition of the…
In their mission to remove and reduce barriers experienced by people with disabilities, Inclusive GymBad PNG recently hosted a powerful Inclusive Disability training workshop in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Facilitated by Interplast Australia and New Zealand, the one-day meeting on 18 June looked to combine the voices of people living with disabilities and those…
The COVID lockdown in Melbourne could have been a moment of limitation for Mischa Ginns. Instead, it became a stepping stone to something great. Watching the Tokyo Paralympics, she did more than passively observe—she became a virtual supporter, purchasing online seats to cheer on Australian athletes. Those virtual tickets became a meaningful connection to the…