The Ypres sports hall is set to host the much-anticipated youth cup organized by IBC, the Ypres badminton club, on Saturday, January 25. This annual tournament,designed for players under 19,has been a staple as 2001.This year marks a milestone, with a record-breaking 142 participants registered for the event.
Last October,the In Flanders Fields tournament faced a setback due to low registrations,leading to its cancellation. However,this time,the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “We’ve surpassed previous years with 142 registrations,” shares Karl Pannekoucke (55), the club’s chairman.“Out of these,30 are from our own club. The matches will be held across two halls, with the final games moving to sports hall 2 due to a basketball event scheduled for the same day. Since its inception in 2001, this youth cup has been a consistent success. However, we’ve observed that registrations are coming in later, which poses organizational challenges. This could have been our 25th edition, but the pandemic forced us to cancel once.”
Tournament categories
The youth cup contributes to the West Flemish classification, attracting primarily local participants. “While the event is open to all members of Badminton Flanders, the majority are from West Flanders,” explains Karl. “We’ve introduced a mini pool for 10-year-olds, where they play on a half court with a lowered net. Other categories include -11, -13, -15, -17, and -19. The groups have been finalized, and we’re eagerly awaiting Saturday. Preparations will begin on Friday, supported by a dedicated team of volunteers to ensure everything runs seamlessly. We encourage everyone to attend, as youth badminton is truly a spectacle to behold.” karl also notes that the club’s membership numbers have remained steady.
Upcoming Events
“The new season is underway, and we currently have 160 members,” Karl adds. “Our four competition teams—men, women, and mixed—are performing well, with two in first place and two in third.This puts us in a strong position to contend for the title. Later this year, we’re planning to host the adult PK on November 1 and 2.The request has already been submitted, and we’re hopeful for approval.” (API)
