The Badminton Club Huesca live one of the sweetest moments of your almost four decades of history thanks to their young promises, who in the last four years have collected up to 37 medals between national and international podiums. A milestone that confirms them as a great racket and shuttlecock champions factory.
His latest successes came in the recent Spanish championships held in Pontevedra (under 15) and in Oviedo (under 11), where seven medals were hung. In the first, Alejandro Gallego won individual gold in a final against his clubmate, Raul Bergua, which also brought a silver in doubles along with Gonzalo Isabal. And they were about to play the title also with Alejandro Gállego himself and Alejandro Yagües, who fell in the semifinals having to settle for bronze. The icing on it was Hugo Gallego, only 11 years old, who won the gold in doubles in Oviedo as a team with the Andalusian Guillermo Muñoz.
“Is unusual and extraordinary than five kids with no other support than the enthusiasm and perseverance of this family club and of course his own family, true sponsors of this feat, achieve these impressive results in a national panorama full of aid and modernization centers “, assesses Ricardo Constant, club president.
The beginnings of Badminton Huesca, in 1984, they were difficult “because it was a despised sport”. But over the years it grew and thanks above all to Carolina Marín, Olympic champion in Rio 2016 and triple world champion, “now it’s a ‘boom'”highlights Constante, who from the beginning had the ambition to be “among the best clubs in Spain.” They currently have more than 200 players in their ranks.
Nicolás Escartín, the standard
His banner was Nicolas Escartín, who came to play two World Cups in 2005 and 2006, in addition to the great record that he garnered nationally and internationally. Names like Kike Gállego or Jorge Laviña.
This last ‘batch’ started very young, with just 4 or 5 years. The first surprise He came in 2017 in the Spanish Championship in Ronda, where Alejandro Gallego he hung a bronze “unexpected”, he acknowledges, “because I started in the sub 11 category and there were other players from one more year”. Since then he has added two golds and four bronzes at the national level, and another two golds, one silver and two bronzes with the National Team in the international tournaments of Benalmádena and Ibiza. His next goal is to go to the European Under 17.
Raul Bergua accumulates championships in Spain by schools, individually and in doubles and a third place in an international. His first medal in the National is his best memory “because he was not one of the favorites” and his biggest dream would be to reach an Olympiad. “Winning a medal would be crazy,” he admits.
Gonzalo Isabal He also collects international hits and Spanish championships. “I wish I could get to a Games or a European”, affirms this player who has received applause from colleagues from other clubs in Spain “who they say we have a lot of merit because we don’t train as much as in other places. “
Another that boasts national and international medals is Alejandro Yagües. The key to this success is in “train hard and believe that you can reach the top”. In his case, he dreams of becoming champion of Spain.
And the youngest who have already hung medals in nationals are Hugo Gállego and Jorge Royo, Both won a bronze in doubles and the first also a gold in the last National sub 11. “I want to keep improving to get to a World Cup”, you want.
These six club players have reached many podiums since 2017, “an achievement that would not have been possible without their mates with those who train daily and without all the technicians that have happened “, emphasizes Constante.
However, from Badminton Huesca they recognize that from now on the road is going to become more difficult because it is time to “take the leap” and they do not have as many resources as other clubs. And is that many of his rivals have technical centers at your fingertips (Galicia, Andalusia, Madrid, Catalonia, Basque Country. Oviedo, Alicante …) and more help.
“We have not received a single euro from the Government of Aragon”
They value the economic support that the Provincial Council gives them through Huesca The Magic and the City Council for other activities such as the club league, but they highlight that “We have not received a single euro from the Government of Aragon for some kids who are ambassadors of luxury and who are known throughout Spain”, emphasizes Ricardo Constante. “I would be very sorry if they saw their wings clipped because their rivals have more opportunities than they do, but we can’t give them more. If they have been champions at 13 or 15, they should continue to be at 17 or 19, but Either they are geniuses or they are going to have to compete against Goliaths“, the Mint.
Thus, asks the DGA to create a technical center together with the CSD to offer more aid for travel, tournament fees, higher-level technicians, materials … “Only the cost of flyers each year is tremendous because they need them of high quality,” says Constante, emphasizing that “These kids are a little treasure that if supported, they can reach very high”.
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