The premier French youth badminton circuit opens its new season this weekend in Saint-Louis and Village-Neuf, welcoming 220 of the country’s top junior players in a crucial qualifying event for the upcoming national championships.
Elite Youth Circuit Launches in the Haut-Rhin
Le Volant des 3 Frontières is hosting the opening weekend of the Circuit Élite jeunes, running from Friday through Sunday across two main venues in eastern France. This competition marks the first leg of a six-tournament series designed to showcase the nation’s best young talent across three age brackets: U13 benjamins, U15 minimes, and U17 cadets.
Competition action is split between the Sportenum facility in Saint-Louis and the RiveRhin complex in Village-Neuf. Matches are scheduled for Friday from 17:00 to 20:00 local time (15:00 to 18:00 UTC), Saturday from 09:00 to 20:00 local time (07:00 to 18:00 UTC), and Sunday from 09:00 to 13:00 local time (07:00 to 11:00 UTC).
Path to the 2027 National Championships
Beyond regional pride, the stakes at the Sportenum and RiveRhin venues are directly tied to the national calendar. This weekend’s tournament serves as an official qualifier for the French Youth Championships, which are scheduled to take place in June 2027.
With six distinct stages making up the overall elite circuit, players must accumulate ranking points throughout the season to secure their spots at the national showcase.
Alsatian Contingent Steps Up at Home
A total of 24 players representing regional clubs from Alsace will take the court this weekend, giving local fans plenty of hometown matchups to follow. The regional entries come from six local organizations: ASPTT Strasbourg, BC Schwindratzheim, Entente Nord Alsace Badminton, ASLB Kembs, Colmar BRA, and the host club, Le Volant des 3 Frontières.
Among the local headliners are Esteyban Sainthuile of BC Schwindratzheim and Clara Menegazzi-Briquet of ASPTT Strasbourg. Both players enter the weekend following strong international showings at the U15 European Championships, bringing high-level match experience back to their home courts.
