In 20 years, badminton has doubled its number of licensees. In France 240,000 badistas play every week for competition or pleasure. The biggest Auvergne club is in Clermont-Ferrand: it is the Volant des Dômes. It is the only one in the region to have a team in the second division.
Badminton was born in 1873, among our English neighbors. Some 150 years later, the sport is still going strong. In Clermont-Ferrand, at the end of his racket, Benjamin is in the middle of a specific session. He is one of the young hopes of the Volant des Dômes club. He is only 12 years old and he is already in the top 15 in France in his category. Benjamin Chaleron, badista, says: “It’s stressful to compete but I’m proud of myself. It is the fruit of a long work. My strong point is explosiveness, that is to say that I am very fast on the ground. My weak point is that I am very irregular”.
To progress, the club’s fine feathers like Benjamin are well supervised. Arriving here 10 years ago, Thomas played for a long time in the first team, in national 1. He is now a salaried coach. He puts his experience at the service of training. Thomas Maury, trainer, underlines: “It’s still a lot of technique, with tight release, in terms of finger power. This is what is important. This is the reason why a player like Fleur, who is not very strong for her age, has a lot of power. She manages well technically. In terms of the legs, it is a very explosive sport“. Fleur, 11 years old, is the third best French player. Fleur Munch, badista, explains how everything took shape: “I started free play with my father and I really liked it. I was progressing quickly and it made me want to become a professional.”.
All these budding badistas do not necessarily have the same ambitions. The leisure sections are doing well. From babies to adults, the club has 360 members and is full. That day, the snowy weather dampened some enthusiasm. Training takes place in small groups. Nolan, a badist game, indicates: “You have to make others race, play matches and have fun” Lison adds: “You have to be graceful and not be too angry“. For Noémie, “I like the feeling when I hit the steering wheel. I feel like I’m forgetting all my problems”.
Lucas is another coach, who arrived last September to strengthen the badminton school. Lucas Chiomento insists: “I was recruited to develop the youth school, which is the most important project within the club. Naturally, I still feel young in my head. I like playing games with young people, helping them progress without them realizing it. Ultimately, these are not exercises but games. I like being in contact with children to pass on my passion”.
From the very first shuttlecocks, to the national team one, the second French division, the Volant des Dômes is ambitious. Beginner or competitor, bad made in Clermont-Ferrand is really on trend.
Article produced from the report by Stéphane Trentesaux, Christophe Jouvante and Emmanuel Braud / France 3 Auvergne
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