The 2026 season is already underway for the Albatros Badminton Sports Club, and it has done so with a presence in one of the first important events on the national calendar. The person in charge of opening the competitive year has been Kristina Stanislavova from Puerto Rico, who traveled to the Pontevedra town of Nigrán to compete, on January 17 and 18, in the U17 Master Tournament, which counts towards the national ranking.
In the U17 Women’s Singles category, Stanislavova began her participation with a solid victory against the Andalusian Ester Iniesta, from Badminton Málaga Evolution, whom she beat in two sets 21-15 and 21-13. The pass to the final draw was played against María Pilar Carmona, a Badminton Arjonilla player and current number six in the national ranking. The woman from Cuenca forced an even match to three sets (21-17, 6-21 and 12-21), although in the end she could not win. Despite this, it maintains 22nd position in the national ranking, with ample room for improvement throughout the season.
In addition, Kristina participated in the U17 Mixed Doubles event partnering with Unai Romero, from Badminton Drop Toledo. The draw was not favorable, since they were placed in a group with high-level couples. In their first match they achieved a creditable victory against the Badminton Oviedo couple, formed by Analía Sabela Villabona and Carlos Labrador, in an intense match that was resolved in three sets (11-21, 21-19 and 21-19). Access to the final draw was decided against the first seeds, Flavia Bocica and Iker Bartolomé, from Bádminton Teulada and Bádminton Valladolid, respectively. After winning the first set and almost winning the second, they finally fell 21-23 and 18-21, finishing the tournament in an outstanding fifth position.
It should be noted that both the rival that eliminated Kristina in singles and the couple that surpassed her in mixed doubles would end up being crowned champions of the tournament, which highlights the high level of the competition and the performance of the player from Cuenca.
The activity of Badminton Albatros does not stop, since next weekend, January 24 and 25, the club will travel to Ribadeo (Lugo) to play a new day of the Second Division Gold National League, facing the Badminton teams Viladecans, Badminton Valladolid and Badminton Alfajarín, with an expedition made up of eight athletes. In parallel, Daniela Rodríguez will compete in a U15 Master on the island of Ibiza, also counting towards the national ranking.
The club wanted to thank the continuous support of the entities that support its work, including the Castilla-La Mancha Badminton Federation, the Globalcaja Cuenca Foundation, the Cuenca City Council and Provincial Council, the Castilla-La Mancha Communities Board and the University of Castilla-La Mancha.
