The first under-17 club-level badminton championship held at the Bebena Badminton Sports Complex in Thimphu ended yesterday. Seven clubs representing various districts took part in the two-day Club Mixed Team Championship. Top performers from the championship will be selected to form the first national junior badminton team. They will represent Bhutan in the upcoming South Asia Regional Junior Championship which will be organised in Pakistan next month.
Before the tournament, the Bhutan Badminton Federation organised an advanced training for 35 participants for 20 days.
A team from Gesarling Central School in Dagana, Peljorling Higher Secondary School in Samtse and Tangmachu Central School in Lhuentse took part in the event. They were joined by a team from Punakha and two others from Thimphu.
Each team took part in five events such as boys’ and girls’ singles, boys’ and girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles.
According to the federation, the championship aims to foster talent development, provide a platform for young athletes, and serve as a talent pool for the national junior badminton team selection.
‘‘This tournament is firstly to assess the performance of the athletes who underwent the athlete training. This tournament also provides a platform to showcase their talent. At the same time, the federation can select the national junior badminton team,’’ said Bikash Gurung, development manager of Bhutan Badminton Federation.
He added that even if the participants are not selected for the national team, the participants will receive continuous training and support. This is to ensure that every young athlete has the opportunity to develop their skills and potentially be selected for future national teams.
Three teams were eliminated from the championship. In the final, Thimphu Boomers defeated Thimphu Glory. The winners defeated their opponents in men’s double, men’s single, and mixed doubles and secured 3 points. Runners-up Thimphu Glory was able to win the women’s singles and women’s doubles and collected 2 points.
In the match for third place, Peljorling Higher Secondary School won against Gesarling Central School.
‘‘We are thankful to the Bhutan Badminton Federation for providing us with such opportunity. We are happy that our team won the match. Because of this game, we can keep ourselves healthy and make more friends. We will also get an opportunity to represent our country,’’ said Sonam Phuntsho Tsheten, the captain of Thimphu Boomers.
‘‘Even though I am not able to win the match, I am very happy that our team got the runners-up position. Through this tournament, I can learn from my mistakes and problems. So, I hope to do better in the future,’’ said Yangchen Dolker, the captain of Thimphu Glory.
The federation plans to organise similar championships every year. This is to create a sustainable pathway for talented players to progress through the ranks and eventually represent the senior national team.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Kipchu
