While our dear volunteer journalists took a few days of well-deserved vacation, the badminton planet continued to turn well this summer. So here we go, we give you a big summary of what has happened in recent weeks.
Commonwealth Games – Malaysia in team, India dominate individual events
A huge multi-sport competition that is held every 4 years, the Commonwealth Games took place a few days ago – from July 28 to August 9) in Birmingham. The badminton competition, as often, was expected by the main nations of this international community of former British colonies and the United Kingdom, such as Canada, India, Malaysia and Singapore in addition to the English and Scottish, of course. The team event crowned the Malaysians, who played without their spearhead Lee Zii Jia, and who beat the defending champions Indians. In the Individual events, however, India came out on top with gold for Sindhu (SD), Lakshya Sen (SH) and the duo Rangkireddy/Shetty (DH), leaving the mixed crumbs to the Singaporeans Hee/Tan and in women’s doubles at Malaysian women Tan/Muralitharan (photo by UNE)
The Blues in yellow and red
Fernando Rivas, the “almost” new performance director of the tricolors, took his flock to his native country, to Sierra Nevada exactly. Almost all the players of the French team were therefore able to take advantage of various and varied activities for this fitness stay – treks, hikes, canyoning that the main interested parties relayed on their social networks. The Popov brothers, for their part, have not been idle either by welcoming several foreign delegations to Fos for a sparring of choice (the Dutch among others)
Parabad. – our Blues in Thailand
The Parabadminton circuit resumes, in Thailand, in Pattaya exactly, in this seaside city near Bangkok. The tenors are there, including obviously Lucas Mazur and Faustine Noel in singles and with their usual partners.
The European Veterans Championships
3 gold medals and some beautiful bronze and silver medals as well. We told you about it HERE
J-6 World Championships
Next Monday will begin the senior worlds, with a great French delegation, and a draw that depends on the categories. For the single men, very complicated for Brice Leverdez and Toma Popov who respectively face Lee Zii Jia and Jonatan Christie, both in the top 10. We will have to play the big game. Xuefei, she meets a former compatriot, the Chinese Hue , not easy either. Leonice Huet (photo) is luckier with an Estonian player as her first opponent (a serious client all the same)
In doubles and mixed, it’s much more playable for our 8 pairs in the running, with the first rounds, at least, well within their reach. Thom and Delphine are not in the half of the table where the two most dangerous Chinese pairs are, but with the Japanese Watanabe/Higashino and the reigning Thai world champions.
Les Bleuets on their way to Belgrade… and the European Championships
Alex Lanier had done the double in the previous edition. No hat-trick this year since he is only entered in one category – of which he is the favourite: he is seeded 1 in the men’s singles, while Emilie Drouin is TDS3 in the women’s singles. Mael Cattoen and Lucas Renoir (pictured) will also play for a doubles charm as will Mayla Hoareau and Camille Pognante and three pairs of mixed seeds.
We are hoping for medals, like every year now, from our brilliant juniors.
Photos: Badmintonphoto and James Varghese (Thailand)
