In order to counteract the lengthy sporting dry spell, the Bottroper BG has tried a lot over the past few years. Various concepts were tested, especially for the training of the first and second teams – although they often found what they were looking for, they were rarely satisfied. Now a surprising change of personnel is bringing a breath of fresh air: a player from the 1st Bundesliga is taking over the training.
The gap left by player-coach Matthias Kuchenbecker after his retirement in 2022 was large. The club was only able to present a clear concept at the beginning of 2024. With national coach Benjamin Tzschoppe, we managed to attract one of Germany’s best coaches to the BBG – and at the same time establish a completely new training philosophy.
The focus was on video analyses, block modules with modern topics and the targeted further development of our own trainers Manuela Ganci and Mathias Hillbrandt. The concept worked well, but could still be expanded – and was simply too expensive in the long run. Tzschoppe can still be seen occasionally in the Bottrop vocational school hall today, but only for individual workshops. The once ambitious training model is now a thing of the past.
At the beginning of this year, the BBG took a new path again. With Miriam Mantell they found an experienced trainer with an A license. The former second division player was already active for Bottroper BG in the early 2000s and played at a high level until 2018.
From then on, training only took place on Mondays – but with a level of consistency that the club had missed for a long time. The players’ progress was clearly visible, especially during the intensive preparation for the season. But the collaboration ended unexpectedly at the beginning of October: Due to time constraints, Mantell could no longer make the regular trip to Bottrop.
Finding a suitable replacement seemed difficult at first – the badminton coaching market is notoriously thin. But a casual remark gave rise to an idea that became reality just a few days later: Karl Sufryd took over the training of the BBG.
The 21-year-old is currently playing his second season for 1. BV Mülheim in the 1st Bundesliga. He made his debut in the 2nd Bundesliga at the age of 17, became German student team champion in 2018, West German U22 champion in 2025 and German U22 runner-up in singles. He also gained international experience in Belgium, Slovenia and the Netherlands and is currently training with the U25 national team at the base.
The training under his leadership started on October 13th and now takes place twice a week – on Mondays and Wednesdays.
(c) Text/Photos: Bottrop Badminton Community
