The Southern Courier | Badminton, a sport to discover with an athlete from Saint-Hubert

It didn’t take long for Heidi Chon to fall in love with badminton. A few sessions with a trainer during her childhood and it was over, she had found her sport. Today, the young 17-year-old athlete who recently participated in the Canada Games hopes to climb the ladder in Quebec and Canada, and in the process, give greater visibility to a surprising sport.

The passion for badminton, Heidi Chon received it from her father. He played regularly when she was younger and the two had fun on the pitch afterwards. Around the age of 9, her father asked her if she wanted to practice it more seriously.

“I said ok, why not. I went to practice a few times with a trainer and fell in love. And when I started the competitions, around 10, 11 years old, I knew that I wanted to continue in there”, she affirms on the telephone.

The latter says she loves the challenge mental and what the sport brings to him on and off the pitch.

“It’s a sport where you really have to be concentrated, it’s strategic. It gives me a kind of exit, a small bubble compared to the rest of my life, ”underlines the student-athlete from Saint-Hubert.

Among the youngest at the Canada Games

The Canada Games are open to athletes under the age of 23. At 17, Heidi was one of the youngest on the Quebec team.

She still had a great run by reaching the quarter-finals in singles, where she lost to the eventual champion. She also won a mixed doubles duel.

“I was very proud. It was the fun to play against the best, even if it was mentally tough. I am not disappointed!” she says about her performance.

“Most of the time when people think of badminton, they think of playing in a backyard, during a barbecue. But the competitive level is really something else!”

– Heidi Chon

If the Hubertine coached by Daniele Bouffard at the International Club of Montreal is well aware that it is unlikely to earn a living from badminton, she still wants to continue her path in the sport.

Reaching level A Elite – the strongest category in Quebec –, becoming one of the best in the country and participating in international tournaments are among her goals. She would also like to train the younger members of her club.

Surprising badminton

Speaking of the visibility of her sport, Heidi Chon is categorical: badminton is a sport that deserves to be watched.

“Several athletes from other sports came to see us at the Games and said to me: we are really impressed! They didn’t expect the speed of the game, the strategy. I would really like it to be more on television or on social networks, to really show what high level badminton is, ”she says.