Château-Gontier: a wheelchair at the Badminton club to raise awareness of para-badminton

Like every Wednesday evening, the coach of the Château-Gontier Badminton club, Benjamin Durand-Horsesupervised a leisure session, Wednesday, May 24, 2023in Château-Gontier (Mayenne).

However, the licensees were able to try a new exercise: to face their comrade Ümit Konukcu, 35, paraplegic, in a wheelchair.

“The armchair comes from the club from Avrillé (Maine-et-Loire), in which I also supervise, ”explains the coach. “I asked for a loan for two to three sessions in order to try out for the club. To see, if we can have more. »

Not the same landmarks

A first initiative aiming in the future to bring a second chair in the club in order to bring a form of opposition to Ümit, even to alleviate the needs of an unequipped person who would be in his situation.

Charlie Creteurjournalist for the editorial staff Upper Anjou, delivers his first impressions, after facing Ümit in his conditions. “Simple things like picking up the steering wheel were complicated for me,” he laughs.

“We realize a little more, on the one hand, the good level of Ümit in para badminton and, on the other hand, strength that you need to have in your arms to control the movement of the chair. When he sent the steering wheel back to me, the most difficult thing was to juggle between the movements of the wheels and racket grip. »

“The most difficult thing was to gauge the trajectory of Ümit’s steering wheel because you have to have the reflex to go towards the wheel and that is even more complicated.

“We become aware of the difficulties he could have in front of us”, continues Marine Dupont, 34 years old. “The coordination of the upper body is not obvious. We think too much about what we should do. »

A sentiment shared by Celine Bizeul, 37: “We are frustrated because everything takes time compared to what we are used to experiencing. »

« The game is different. Since we are focused on the chair and the wheels, we are no longer focused on playing the racquet. It’s good to know what the other has to live. »

Different rules

For the principal concerned, this session was a great satisfaction. “People can realize the rules that are different (half court)”, smiles Hope.

“They can see how to handle the chair and the racquet. When you play against me, you can’t easily tell. Once in the chair, there are reflexes to have that able-bodied people do not have. It is super interesting to share that. »

“The game is different and much slower, you don’t have a smash and you play on the errors of placement of the other. There is more strategy, we play on the weak points of the person. »

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