The Club Bádminton Baena secured three medals during recent competition in San José de la Rinconada, Sevilla, while simultaneously preparing for upcoming national championship appearances.
The club’s president, Rafael Mérida, confirmed the results included one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. These finishes follow a busy weekend for the organization, which also saw representative Raúl Molina compete at the Campeonato de España sub-17 held in Granollers.
In the San José de la Rinconada event, María Mérida and Jacobo Repiso earned the gold medal in the sub-13 mixed doubles category. María Mérida added a bronze in the sub-15 women’s singles after a three-set match against the eventual tournament winner. Juanjo Lastres and Mario Castillo claimed the silver medal in the sub-15 men’s doubles.
Other club members gained experience by playing above their age brackets. Adrián Baena and Jorge Mérida, both sub-11 players, competed in the sub-13 category and performed well. Victoria de la Torre and Rafael Mérida also participated in both singles and doubles in the sub-17 division.
“El club suele regresar de sus desplazamientos con alguna medalla, fruto del trabajo que vienen desarrollando sus jugadores,” said Rafael Mérida, regarding the team’s consistent performance on the road.
The organization is now shifting its focus to local community engagement and upcoming national travel. This weekend, the club will host the second “Día del Bádminton” at the Baena Luis Carrillo de Sotomayor institute pavilion. The event, scheduled from 10:00 to 13:00, features matches between parents and children, as well as mixed-age play. Organizers report approximately 70 confirmed participants, exceeding initial expectations.
Competitive efforts continue on November 20, when Adrián Baena and Jorge Mérida travel to Huelva for the Campeonato de España sub-11. Mérida noted the difficulty of the field, which typically includes 60 to 80 of the country’s top young players.
On November 27, Juanjo Lastres will travel to the Canary Islands to compete in the Campeonato de España sub-15. According to the club, this selection serves as recognition of his current performance and standing in the national rankings.
Maintaining this level of participation requires significant financial planning. The club relies on support from families, the Junta de Andalucía, the Diputación, the local Ayuntamiento, and various rural house sponsors. Mérida emphasized that as badminton remains a minority sport with high travel costs, the continued collaboration of these partners is essential to sustaining the club’s presence at national tournaments.
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