Tell me, how does badminton actually work? To hit a feather the hardest?
“First of all, it’s a shuttle“No feather.”
“The ground rules are that there are two winning sets up to 21 points. A break is inserted at 11 points. You score a point if the other hits the net or outside the line, or if the other misses your shot. there is at least two points difference to crown yourself/your team the winner.You can play in singles, doubles, or mixed doubles.Then there is also a difference between tournament and competition: tournament is for yourself, competition is in a team Ladies and gentlemen are usually separated here.”
What was your career on the badminton court exactly like?
“I converted to badminton at the ripe old age of six. When I was eleven I was in the national team. A year later I won the first Belgian title. At fourteen I won a second and third Belgian title in the wait, and I became an international youth finalist, then I got injured (pruillip). Two years later, I slowly started again, making it three times into the elite men’s semi-finals. At the moment I play competition in the first national. With the team we are vice-national champions.”
Congrats! So what makes badminton so exciting?
“It has great game value; tactics are vital. It is often compared to physical chess. Every trick is a move with which you try to undermine the opponent. The more you think ahead and see patterns, the stronger you stand. It is natural always nice to be that one guy who is really good at badminton, although people are often surprised that there is such a thing as professional badminton players.”
Badminton is sometimes called the soft version of tennis. Tennis with a feather, excuse me, shuttle. Why do you think badminton is not the weaker twin brother of tennis?
“Badminton is less elitist, even without the Knokke Le Zoute syndrome you can join (read: without having to pay a small fortune plus your left kidney). The sport itself is not yet corrupted by money and sponsors. In addition, you can technical progress faster and there is a higher ceiling. Because there are overhand strokes in badminton and a shuttle easily goes twice as fast as a tennis ball, it is a major challenge to master the technique of all strokes.”
Do you have one golden tip for novice badminton players?
“It is often more efficient to wait for the opponent to make a mistake than to whack yourself like crazy to score a point. Patience is the mother of the badminton cabinet (laughs).”
