for Jan 3, 07:57
Sport
Door Roberto Cancian
LEIDSCHE RHINE – After a successful 2024/2025 season, in which Badminton Club Castellum was promoted to the third division again in years, the association continues its growth.
It will do that for the rest of the season with Dicky Palyama in the team. The now 47-year-old Dicky Palyama was nine times Dutch champion and was once, in 2010, number 18 in the world. “It’s great that Dicky will be available for us for the rest of the season,” says teammate Kyle van der Vliet. He is happy that the former top player wants to be part of BC Castellum’s aspirations. “He lives around the corner from me in Houten, which is why we already had contact with him,” Van der Vliet adds. Halfway through the season, BC Castellum is in second place, before the holidays they won 8-0 against Gaasperdam.
Retaining the players Bo Kneefel, Anouk van Verseveld, Kyle van der Vliet, Somrak Doornebosch, Mitchell van der Vliet and the addition of a third lady in the person of Sandra van Rooijen ensures that BC Castellum wants to continue hunting for leader BC Leerdam. ‘The objective this season was to continue to move on to the 2nd division next season, but there is a chance that we can become champions this year. Especially with the help of Dicky Palyama. We hope to be able to keep him for next season, we will talk about that later in the season,” Kyle van der Vliet is already looking ahead.
The fact that Dicky Palyama has joined BC Castellum is a good thing, also because the team has been plagued by injuries and absences in recent weeks. ‘Dicky Palyama was already there against Gaasperdam, and contact has also been made with Alex Sung. He is an acquaintance of ours,” Mitchell van der Vliet indicates. His brother Kyle doubled against Gaasperdam with Palyama. ‘They had practiced together the week before, and now they won the men’s doubles in straight sets. The women’s doubles, with Bo and Sandra, needed a third set. They won that comfortably 21-9. The four singles matches, played by Dicky, Sandra, Alex and Anouk, were all won in two sets. The new couple Bo and Alex and the familiar couple Anouk and Kyle managed to convincingly win their mix double in two sets,” Mitchell van der Vliet reports on the match against Gaasperdam. 30-year-old Kyle still enjoys the game. ‘When I was seven years old, I played in the youth department of BC Castellum. I then moved up to the senior level until there was no room left for me. The coach then also left and I was asked to come along to play at a higher level. Now I am back at BC Castellum for the second season after also playing for other clubs. I would like to help BC Castellum to raise the level of the club. After last year’s championship in the 4th division, we now compete in the 3rd division and there is an opportunity to grow to the 2nd division,” says Kyle van Vliet, who is the owner of construction company ARCHITON BV. ‘We are also growing with the company. It’s busy but also very fun and enjoyable’, laughs Kyle van der Vliet. The competition will resume on Saturday, January 10, 2026 with the match at US.
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