Paola Fayen and Amina Mcharek Make Debut at Nièvre Badminton Championships: “Doubles Is Like Dance”

Nevers, France — In a quiet gymnasium on the outskirts of Nevers, the rhythmic thud of shuttlecocks and the squeak of court shoes marked not just another local tournament, but a meaningful first step for two rising French badminton talents. Paola Fayen and Amina Mcharek stepped onto the court for their debut as a doubles pair at the Championnats de la Nièvre de badminton, an event that, while modest in scale, carries deep significance for grassroots development in the region.

Their performance embodied a sentiment echoed throughout the weekend: “Le double, c’est comme de la danse” — doubles is like dance. It’s a phrase that captures the intricate coordination, trust, and unspoken communication required when two players move as one unit across the 13.4-meter-wide court.

Though the pair did not advance beyond the group stage, their participation represents more than just a result. It reflects the ongoing effort to strengthen badminton’s presence in rural French departments, where access to high-level competition and coaching remains uneven compared to urban centers like Paris or Lyon.

Understanding the Championnats de la Nièvre

The Championnats de la Nièvre is an annual departmental badminton tournament organized by the Comité Départemental de Badminton de la Nièvre (CDBN), affiliated with the French Badminton Federation (FFBaD). Held each spring, it brings together players from clubs across the Nièvre department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, ranging from recreational competitors to those aiming for regional qualification.

This year’s event took place over the weekend of April 13–14, 2024, at the Salle Omnisports de Marzy, a municipal sports complex located approximately 8 kilometers south of Nevers’ city center. The venue features four regulation badminton courts with approved flooring and lighting, meeting FFBaD standards for departmental-level competition.

According to official results published by the CDBN, the women’s doubles draw included eight pairs, with seeding based on departmental rankings as of March 2024. Fayen and Mcharek, representing the Badminton Club Neversois (BCN), entered as unseeded entrants — a common designation for new partnerships or players returning from injury or hiatus.

Who Are Paola Fayen and Amina Mcharek?

Paola Fayen, 24, is a Nevers native who began playing badminton at age 10 through her local school program before joining BCN’s youth academy. She has competed primarily in singles at the departmental level, with her best result being a quarterfinal appearance in the 2022 Nièvre Championships.

Amina Mcharek, 22, moved to Nevers from Lyon two years ago to pursue a degree in sports science at the Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté. A former regional-level player in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, she shifted focus to doubles upon relocating, seeking partners to rebuild her competitive rhythm after the transition.

The pair began training together in September 2023 under the guidance of BCN’s head coach, Julien Moreau, a former national-level doubles player who emphasized footwork synchronization and net-play anticipation in their early sessions.

“We started with shadow drills — no shuttlecocks, just movement,” Fayen explained in a post-match interview with Le Journal du Centre. “It felt awkward at first, like learning a new dance routine. But after weeks of repeating the same patterns, it began to experience natural. That’s when Amina said, ‘Here’s like dance.’ And it stuck.”

Their preparation included twice-weekly on-court sessions supplemented by video analysis of professional doubles teams, particularly focusing on the Indonesian and pairs known for their rotational precision and deceptive net play.

Tournament Performance: Match-by-Match Breakdown

In their opening match, Fayen and Mcharek faced the third-seeded duo of Léa Dubois and Claire Martin from ASC Badminton Decize. Despite showing flashes of coordination — particularly in defensive recoveries and cross-court drops — they lost in straight games, 14–21, 11–21.

The second match pitted them against a younger pair from Club Sportif de Varennes-Vauzelles, Elise Girard and Manon Leclerc. Here, the Nevers pair demonstrated improved communication, calling shots clearly and covering for each other during lifts. They won the first game 21–18 after overcoming a 14–16 deficit, but faltered in the second, losing 15–21 due to unforced errors on smothers.

A third-place playoff match was not scheduled in the women’s doubles draw, meaning their tournament concluded after two matches. Official standings placed them fifth equal, alongside three other pairs with identical 1–1 records.

“We’re not disappointed,” Mcharek said. “We know we’re still building. But for the first time playing together in a real tournament, we stayed calm, we talked between points, and we had moments where we moved as one. That’s progress.”

Context: Badminton in the Nièvre and Regional Development

The Nièvre department, with a population of approximately 210,000, faces challenges common to rural French regions: declining youth sports participation, limited indoor facilities, and fewer opportunities for elite-level competition. Badminton, while growing nationally, remains a niche sport here compared to football, rugby, or basketball.

According to FFBaD licensing data from 2023, the Nièvre recorded 387 registered badminton players — up 12% from 2021 but still well below the national average per capita. Of those, only 89 were under 18, highlighting a gap in youth engagement.

The CDBN has responded with initiatives like “Badminton à l’École,” which introduces the sport in primary schools, and open-door days at local clubs. The departmental championships serve as both a competitive outlet and a talent identification tool, with standout performers sometimes invited to regional training camps in Dijon or Chalon-sur-Saône.

Fayen and Mcharek’s participation aligns with these goals. Though neither is currently on the regional elite pathway, their commitment to improving as a doubles pair exemplifies the grassroots growth the federation seeks to nurture.

The Philosophy of Doubles as Dance

The analogy between doubles badminton and dance is not merely poetic — it reflects biomechanical and cognitive realities. Elite doubles play demands:

• Spatial awareness: Players must constantly monitor their partner’s position to avoid collisions and optimize coverage.
• Timing and rhythm: Shot selection often depends on anticipating not just the opponent’s move, but the partner’s readiness to follow up.
• Non-verbal communication: Eye contact, racket positioning, and even footwork patterns convey intent faster than verbal calls.
• Role fluidity: In modern doubles, players frequently switch between attacking and defending roles within a single rally, requiring seamless transitions.

This dynamic is especially pronounced in women’s doubles, where rallies tend to be longer and more control-oriented than in men’s or mixed doubles. Success hinges less on raw power and more on precision, deception, and mutual trust — qualities Fayen and Mcharek are actively cultivating.

Their coach, Julien Moreau, reinforced this viewpoint: “In singles, you’re soloist. In doubles, you’re part of a duet. If one person rushes or hesitates, the whole thing falls apart. Paola and Amina are learning to listen to each other — not just with their ears, but with their movement.”

Their post-match reflection highlighted a maturity beyond their current ranking: they understood that development in doubles is nonlinear, built on repetition, patience, and shared experience rather than immediate results.

What’s Next for the Pair?

Fayen and Mcharek plan to continue training together through the summer, with goals to compete in the Championnat Régional Bourgogne-Franche-Comté later in 2024. Qualification for that event requires strong performances in departmental tournaments or coach nominations — a benchmark they are now working toward.

Individually, Fayen is focusing on improving her backhand consistency and net interception, while Mcharek is refining her serve variety and defensive positioning. Both have expressed interest in attending a FFBaD-recognized doubles clinic scheduled for June in Auxerre, approximately 90 minutes northwest of Nevers by train.

The BCN club has also announced plans to host a doubles-specific workshop in September, inviting players from neighboring departments to participate in drills focused on partnership dynamics — a direct response to growing interest in the discipline.

For now, the pair remains grounded in their process. As Fayen put it: “We didn’t come here to win medals. We came to learn how to play together. And if, one day, it feels less like practice and more like dance — then we’ll know we’re getting there.”

Broader Implications for French Badminton

Stories like Fayen and Mcharek’s are vital to the long-term health of badminton in France. While national headlines often spotlight Olympic medalists or Super Series winners, the sport’s foundation is built in departmental gyms like the one in Marzy — where players lace up their shoes not for fame, but for the joy of movement, challenge, and connection.

The FFBaD’s 2024–2028 strategic plan emphasizes “territorial anchoring,” aiming to increase licensed players in underrepresented regions by 20% through targeted outreach, facility upgrades, and coach education. Events like the Championnats de la Nièvre, though small, are essential data points in measuring progress toward that goal.

the growing visibility of women’s doubles — both at elite levels and in grassroots circles — challenges outdated perceptions of badminton as a secondary sport. With increased media coverage and sponsorship interest in doubles disciplines, pairs like Fayen and Mcharek may one day benefit from greater support structures.

Until then, they will keep showing up — early mornings, repetitive drills, quiet victories in communication and trust. Since in badminton, as in dance, mastery is not declared in a single performance. This proves earned, step by step, shuttlecock by shuttlecock, in the quiet pursuit of moving as one.

The next checkpoint for Paola Fayen and Amina Mcharek is their scheduled return to training at the Badminton Club Neversois on April 22, 2024, where they will resume twice-weekly sessions ahead of summer tournament planning. Fans and followers can stay updated via the club’s official Facebook page or by contacting the CDBN for regional tournament schedules.

If you found this insight into grassroots badminton meaningful, consider sharing it with others who appreciate the quiet dedication behind athletic growth. Your perspective helps amplify stories that deserve to be told.