The Spanish badminton federation announced today that Club Badminton A Estrada player Iziar Barcala will be the substitute for María Luisa Jiménez from Ruta (recently injured and in the process of recovery) to travel to Shonai, Japan, during the first week of the month of July.
There the Estradense will play the prestigious International Badminton Shonai, a competition that is aimed at athletes in the Under-16 category. The best athletes from the best countries, both Asian and European, participate in this tournament, although it is the first time that Spanish athletes have been invited. Two national athletes will be able to participate in this premiere, one male and one female, and they will only play the individual events. Iziar Barcala will be accompanied by Raúl Bergua, from Badminton Huesca, as a male athlete, as well as the Andalusian coach Carlos Longo.
Badminton player A Estrada currently occupies fifth place in the U-17 national ranking, she was runner-up in Spain U-15 in 2022 in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles events. She also has international experience and has come to represent the national team in the U15 European Championship. She comes in addition to caressing the medals at the International Vitor Jot in Belgium last weekend.
The national coach Ernesto García stressed that this championship “will help our young players gain experience and see how they compete worldwide and especially in Asian badminton.”
