The 150 Best Badminton Players in Flanders Compete in Elite Tournament

The 150 best badminton players in Flanders compete against each other. — © Leen Van de Sande

Mechelen –

The Flemish Badminton Championships will take place this weekend in De Nekker in Mechelen. The absolute top of the Flemish badminton world compete against each other in various categories. “Badminton is absolutely a top sport,” say the organizers.

For the second year in a row, Badminton Club De Nekker and Badminton Flanders are working together to organize the Flemish Championships. These will take place this weekend in the large sports hall of De Nekker. The players from the four highest rankings of badminton compete against each other for the Flemish title in various categories. For example, singles and doubles are played and there are also mixed competitions.

“The collaboration is going very smoothly and we are happy to be guests here again with our elite tournament,” says Pieter-Jan Caestecker of Badminton Vlaanderen. “The infrastructure is excellent to allow around 150 participants to give the best of themselves. On Saturday the preliminary rounds will take place on no fewer than twelve different fields. The semi-finals and finals follow on Sunday. The room will be extra decorated for this purpose.”

According to the federation, badminton is certainly not a camping sport. — © Leen Van de Sande

With the Flemish Championships, the federation wants to prove that badminton is indeed a top sport. “It is even an Olympic discipline, but badminton still lost its top sport status. This is due to the strict conditions. You have to win medals at European Championships or be very high in the world rankings to be allowed to retain the status of Sport Vlaanderen. But achieving that performance in a sport dominated by Asian players is not easy.”

Challenging

For many, badminton is mainly a sport that they have played in the garden or on the beach. “But that image does not match what badminton is like as a top sport,” says Caestecker. “It seems like a camping sport to many, but it is very challenging on a technical, physical and tactical level. It is also the fastest sport in the world. A smash was once measured in which the shuttle reached a speed of 565 km/h. That is unmatched in any other sport.”

The preliminary rounds will be played on Saturday, followed by the semi-finals and finals on Sunday. — © Leen Van de Sande

Since the corona crisis, badminton has been on the rise again throughout Flanders. This is also noticeable in the Dyle city. “We have seen our membership numbers grow significantly in recent years,” says Bart Laurens of BC De Nekker. “We now have about 160 members and even had to introduce a stop for starters. We are very happy and proud that some of our members will also compete against the rest of the Flemish badminton top this weekend. The club also takes care of the volunteers and the organization.”

40th anniversary

The agreement between BC De Nekker and Badminton Vlaanderen will continue next year. “2024 will be a real festive year,” says Laurens. “The club will then blow out forty candles and do so with a big party in March. A third edition of the Flemish Championships will follow in November in Mechelen. We are already looking forward to this and we hope to continue our good cooperation with the federation in the coming years.”

Bart Laurens from BC De Nekker and Pieter-Jan Caestecker from Badminton Flanders. — © Leen Van de Sande

2023-11-25 14:13:00
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