After a successful 2021, the badminton players of the Antofagasta Benjamín Bahamóndez will represent Chile at the III South American Youth Games”>Chile Promises Program (PCH) began their preseason ahead of the intense schedule of competitions scheduled for this year, national and international tournaments in which Antofagasta hopes to be the protagonist.
Three times a week, the nearly 15 athletes of the discipline perform physical work on the coastline and at the IND Regional Training Center, under the instructions of the badminton technician, Susana Salinas, and the PCH multidisciplinary team – doctor , kinesiologist, methodologist and physical trainer – who establish and/or supervise the exercise routines defined for the athletes, in accordance with their biotype and the technical aspects that must be reinforced.
Regarding the tournaments that regional badminton will face in 2022, the trainer Susana Salinas, explained that the first challenge will be the Pan American Games to be played in El Salvador at the end of April, along with the respective qualifying process. “We are convinced that our players will be present at this important international event,” said the coach.
In May it will be the turn of the Bolivarian Youth Games, whose venue will be the city of Rosario, Argentina. For this instance, the members of the Team Chile, Benjamin Bahamondez (ranked #1), Agustín Maldonado and Camila Astorga who make up the long list managed by the National Badminton Federation of Chile (Fedebad). Regarding this appointment, Bahamóndez (17) says he has “high expectations, I want to do a good job, they will be my first games so I am already very excited and we are going to focus on achieving results”.
In July it will be the turn of the Pan American Youth Championship, which will take place in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, “an instance in which representatives of the Sub 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 categories will be part and we believe that we are going to classify a great number of our athletes”, said coach Susana Salinas. In international matters, the competition calendar will close in November with the Mexico Open and the South American Championship to be held in Lima, Peru. In parallel to this, the competitions corresponding to the national circuit will soon be defined.
Regarding this preseason, the national selected Belén Troncoso (19) He commented that during this phase “we are doing our best to represent the country well, with a view to strengthening our skills.” His partner, Nicolás Naupa (20) explained that as a team “we are redoubling physical work with a view to improving our level much more”, while the young Martín Olmos (13), pointed out that “we want to prepare ourselves from now on to reach our goals, always focused on being South American champions”.
Nellie Miranda Eldan, IND Regional Director, highlighted this preparatory process for the badminton discipline, which she stated “I am sure it will allow the region and the country to be present in these important international tournaments, in order to reaffirm the great achievements obtained in 2021,” the authority asserted.
