Badminton Europe magazine issue 25 / March 2017

5 BEC AWARDS GALA TH

AXE LS EN WINS M AI D E N S U P ER S ERI E S T I T L E

ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 1967–2017

Issue 25, March 2017

2017 EU ROP E A N MIXED T E A M C H AMPION S H I P S www.badmintoneurope.com

ED IT OR I A L

The 2016 Rio Olympic Games is behind us and we are well into an exciting 2017. A year that marks the 50th Anniversary of Badminton Europe Confederation. A year of celebration.

The European Mixed Team Championships was played in February 2017 in the Polish city of Lubin and a prominent report from the event can be found in this magazine.

Congratulations to our excellent organisers from Lotka Lubin and congratulations to the European Mixed Team Champions from Denmark.

All attention is now on the 50th Badminton Europe Congress which also contains the 5th Awards Gala Evening. In this Anniversary Year the celebrations will take place in Prague, Czech Republic where we look forward to hosting the European badminton community.

I am pleased to note that this magazine contains an interesting interview with one of our promising para-badminton players, Cathrine Rosengren from Denmark.

Finally, a few words about a dear friend who passed away in the end of February. The first member of Badminton Europe‘s hall of fame, Erland Kops was a pioneer and a legend within our sport and will be truly missed.

I hope you will enjoy reading this 25th edition of our magazine.

Brian Agerbak General Secretary

Imprint: Badminton Europe – Published by Badminton Europe Confederation, Brøndbytoften 14, 2605 Brøndby, Denmark. · Responsible editor: Manuel Rösler, manuel.roesler@gmx.de · Design: Julian Pletz, www.julianpletz.de · Coverphoto: BadmintonPhoto · Photos: pages 3–15: BadmintonPhoto, page 17: BWF, pages 18–23: BadmintonPhoto, pages 24–31: Mark Phelan, pages 35: BadmintonPhoto, pages 36–41: Mark Phelan, pages 42–53: Dimension Design for Kullegaard Architects, pages 44–45: BadmintonPhoto, pages 46–51: Mark Phelan, page 52: Julian Pletz, pages 54–55: BadmintonPhoto, pages 56–57: Sven Heise, pages 58–59: Peter Clausen/Wikipedia Pictures, pages 60–61: BadmintonEurope, pages 62–63: BadmintonPhoto

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17 6 THE EUROPEAN STARS ON THE BWF WORLD RANKING W OR L D RANK I NG

12 AWARDS NOMINEES B E C AWA R D S GALA

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BWF HONOURS ERLAND KOPS

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B WF LIFETIME

CHERVYAKOVA & MOROZOVA

AC HIEVEMENT AWA RD

PORTRA IT

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DENMARK CRUSH RUSSIA TO CLAIM YET ANOTHER EUROPEAN TITLE

MAZUR AND SUTER-ERATH WERE NAMED BWF PARA-BADMINTON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

E UROPEA N MIX ED T E AM CHA MPIONSHIPS

B W F PLAYER AWARD S

CON T E N T

36 CATHRINE ROSENGREN P ORT RAI T

42 BEC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

54 A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE INTERVIEW

D E V E L O P ME NT

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60 BADMINTON EUROPE 1967–2017

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JAQUET & ROTH LIGHT UP THE SINGLES CIRCUIT

THE VERY DEFINITION OF THE SINGULAR WORD ICON

JAN Ø.

JØRGENSEN

P ORT RAI T

E RLA ND KOPS

STATS

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BWF EUROPEAN WORLD RANKINGS MEN’S SINGLES

11 2 13

33

1

3

15

1

LEE CHONG WEI Malaysia

13

HANS-KRISTIAN VITTINGHUS Denmark

2

JAN Ø. JØRGENSEN Denmark

15

RAJIV OUSEPH England

3

VIKTOR AXELSEN Denmark

33

ANDERS ANTONSEN Denmark

11

MARC ZWIEBLER Germany

36

PABLO ABIAN Spain

6

36

BW F E U RO P E AN WO R LD R ANK I NGS 02 March 2017

WOMEN’S SINGLES

22 2 23

33

1

3

1

TAI TZU YING Taiwan

23

LINE KJÆRSFELDT Denmark

2

CAROLINA MARIN Spain

26

LINDA ZETCHIRI Bulgaria

3

SUNG JI HYUN Korea

33

METTE POULSEN Denmark

BEATRIZ CORRALES Spain

40

SABRINA JAQUET Switzerland

22

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40

7

MEN’S DOUBLES

9

2

3

1

1

V SHEM GOH WEE KIONG TAN Malaysia

2

TAKESHI KAMURA KEIGO SONODA Japan

3

MATHIAS BOE CARSTEN MOGENSEN Denmark

8

8

MADS CONRAD MADS KOLDING Denmark

9

VLADIMIR IVANOV IVAN SOZONOV Russia

11

KIM ASTRUP ANDERS SKAARUP RASMUSSEN Denmark

11

WOMEN’S DOUBLES

2

1

8

1

MISAKI MATSUTOMO AYAKA TAKAHASHI Japan

2

CHRISTINNA PEDERSEN KAMILLA RYTTER-JUHL Denmark

3

JUNG KYUNG EUN SHIN SEUNG CHAN Korea

3

12

STEFANI STOEVA GABRIELA STOEVA Bulgaria

15

SELENA PIEK EEFJE MUSKENS The Netherlands

19

MAIKEN FRUERGAARD SARA THYGESEN Denmark

15

12

19

BWF E U R O P E AN WO R LD R ANK I NGS

MIXED DOUBLES

4 2

7

1

1

ZHENG SIWEI CHEN QINGCHEN China

2

KO SUNG HYUN KIM HA NA Korea

3

TONTOWI AHMAD LILIYANA NATSIR Indonesia

3

4

JOACHIM FISCHER CHRISTINNA PEDERSEN Denmark

7

CHRIS ADCOCK GABRIELLE ADCOCK England

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ROBERT MATEUSIAK NADIEZDA ZIEBA Poland

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Find the complete world rankings on the BWF website at www.bwfbadminton.com BADMINTON EUROPE

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CHIN A O P E N Denmark’s Jan Ø.

Jørgensen upset Olympic champion Chen Long of China in front of his home fans to win the China Open Superseries in Fuzhou.

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CON IN PI C T ETN U RT E S

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NOMINATION The Badminton Europe Awards recognize the achievements and the contribution to European badminton by players engaged in all categories of our sport. The Best European Male Player, the Best European Female Player, the Best Young Player, the Best European Senior Player and the Best European ParaBadminton Player awards recognize the best players playing for a nation within the territory of a BEC Member Association during the previous year. The awards should honor the achievement of European players at international stage. For the awards, players were judged by their performances during the previous year.

Simultaneously we also offered this vote on our official Facebook page and Instagram page (to all badminton fans worldwide).

Additionally to the Player Awards there will be awards for the BEC Women in Badminton, BEC Coach of the Year and BEC Technical Official of the Year categories.

The winners of the eight Awards will be invited and distinguished at the 5th BEC Awards Gala in Prague.

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CON BE C AWA T E N TR D S G ALA

2011 WINNERS

2014 WINNERS

Women in Badminton Person of the Year Award

Best European Male Player of the Year

Women in Badminton Project of the Year Award

Best European Female Player of the Year

JOHANNA PERSSON (Sweden) WOMEN IN SPORT (Ireland)

JAN Ø. JØRGENSEN (Denmark) CAROLINA MARIN (Spain)

Best European Young Player of the Year YVONNE LI (Germany)

2012 WINNERS Best European Male Player of the Year

MATHIAS BOE / CARSTEN MOGENSEN (Denmark)

Best European Female Player of the Year JULIANE SCHENK (Germany)

Best European Para-Badminton Player of the Year KARIN SUTER-ERATH (Switzerland)

Women in Badminton Award ANU NIEMINEN (Finland)

BEC Hall of Fame

LENE KØPPEN (Denmark)

Best European Young Player of the Year CAROLINA MARIN (Spain)

Women in Badminton Person of the year Award

2015 WINNERS

Women in Badminton Project of the year Award

MATHIAS BOE / CARSTEN MOGENSEN (Denmark)

KIRSTEN LARSEN (Denmark) GIRLS CAMP (Serbia)

BEC Hall of Fame

ERLAND KOPS (Denmark)

Best European Male Player of the Year

Best European Female Player of the Year CAROLINA MARIN (Spain)

Best European Young Player of the Year ANDERS ANTONSEN (Denmark)

Best European Para-Badminton Player of the Year

2013 WINNERS Best European Male Player of the Year JAN Ø. JØRGENSEN (Denmark)

Best European Female Player of the Year CHRISTINNA PEDERSEN (Denmark)

Best European Young Player of the Year STEFANI STOEVA (Bulgaria)

Women in Badminton Person of the year Award NORA PERRY (England)

Women in Badminton Project of the year Award ESPOO WOMEN‘S OPEN (Finland)

BARTLOMIEJ MROZ (Poland)

Best Senior Player of the Year GITTE SOMMER (Denmark)

Women in Badminton Award CAROLINA MARIN (Spain)

Coach of the Year

FERNANDO RIVAS (Spain)

Technical Official of the Year ERNEST ROBINSON (France)

BEC Hall of Fame

MORTEN FROST (Denmark)

BEC Hall of Fame

GILLIAN GILKS (England)

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AND OUR NOMINEES ARE… BEST EUROPEAN MALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ‘16

D ANI SH ME N’S T E AM

JA N Ø.

JØRG EN SE N (Denmark)

VI KT O R A XE LS E N (Denmark)

I VA N S O Z O NO V VL A DI M I R I VA N O V (Russia)

BEST EUROPEAN FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ‘16

CAR OL IN A MARI N (Spain)

C HRIST IN NA PEDERSEN KA M ILLA RYTTER-JUH L (Denmark)

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CH R I S T I NNA PEDERSEN (Denmark)

GA B R I E L L E A D C O CK (England)

CON BE C AWA T E N TR D S G ALA

BEST EUROPEAN YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR ‘16

AL EX AN D R A BØJ E (Denmark)

PAW ERIKSEN (Denmark)

NH AT N GU Y E N (Ireland)

T O MA JU NI O R POPOV (France)

BEST EUROPEAN SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR ‘16

CHR IS TIN E BL A CK (Scotland)

GEORGY VAN SOERLAN DTROUERBACH

JI M GA R R E TT (England)

VA DI M NAZAROV (Russia)

(The Netherlands)

BEST EUROPEAN PARA-BADMINTON PLAYER OF THE YEAR ‘16

L UCAS M AZUR (France)

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KA RIN SUTER-ERATH (Switzerland)

T H OMA S WA N D S C H N E I D E R (Germany)

KRY S T E N C O O MBS (England)

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JOIN NOW

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CON T E N T

BWF HONOURS ERLAND KOPS A lifetime of sporting success and sterling contribution to badminton, spanning almost 60 years, was honoured as the legendary Erland Kops received his BWF Lifetime Achievement award.

The Danish icon was among those confirmed for 2016 honours at the BWF Council meeting in Bilbao, Spain, earlier this month. The awardees would not normally be announced so soon but, due to Kops’ declining health, BWF fast-tracked the presentation which was made by BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer in Copenhagen.

Hailed as Denmark’s most accomplished Men’s Singles player, 79-year-old Kops won seven All England titles from 1958 to 1967. He also claimed four Men’s Doubles All England championships and was the first European to win major titles in Asia, moving to Thailand in the late 1950s to work for a Danish trading company and to improve and test his game.

In the 1960s, he travelled the world and continued to dominate the Men’s Singles category for nearly a decade. His illustrious career ended with European

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Men’s Doubles medals in 1970 and 1972. Known for his fast footwork and devastating smash, Kops served Badminton Denmark in administrative capacities after retirement and was always happy to help younger generations of players.

In 2000, he was knighted by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II for his badminton achievements, a rare distinction he shares with Høyer who received the same honour last year.

“Erland Kops has been a great inspiration to generations of Danish and European players. He blazed a trail in challenging the best players from Asia. It is a great honour for me to present him with this Lifetime Achievement award,” said Høyer at the brief ceremony.

Erland Kops was also the first member of the BEC Hall of Fame in 2012.

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DENMARK CRUSH RUSSIA TO CLAIM YET ANOTHER EUROPEAN TITLE

DENMARK  18

WINNERS

2 0 1 7 E U R O P E AN MI XE D T E AM C HA MPION SHIPS

RUSSIA 

Denmark cruised to yet another European Mixed Team Championships title to reaffirm their outright dominance of European badminton. In a one sided final, Team Russia capitulated against the mighty Danes with Denmark running out easy 3-0 winners.

RUNNER UP

As soon as the line-up was released it became clear that Denmark were red hot favourites to win in the Polish city of Lubin as Russia were without the talisman Vladimir Ivanov due to the fatigue. Ivanov had been instrumental in Russia’s run to the final winning all his seven matches in both doubles and mixed doubles. Russia without Ivanov were essentially like a boat without its rudder.

Denmark themselves made a change leaving out Viktor Axelsen but when you have Anders Antonsen in reserve such a change is highly justifiable.

The fortunes of the Russians would hinge on the opening mixed doubles match with Ivan Sozonov deputising for Ivanov alongside one of the outstanding players of the tournament Ekaterina Bolotova.

The Russians to their credit pushed Joachim Fischer and Christinna Pedersen in the opening game of the mixed doubles but as they have done so often on so many occasions the experienced Danes got the game over the line to lead.

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ENGLAND

3RD PLACE

GERM ANY

3RD PLACE

EUR OPEAN MIX ED TEAM C H AMPIONS H IPS : PAS T MEDALIS TS

The Russians struggled to just keep in touch in the second game of the opening mixed doubles but were still ultimately in the game at 13-10. Little did they know at the time but that was to be their last point and the Danes initiated the afterburners and cruised home 21-10.

GO L D

SI LVE R

Germany

2017 Denmark

Russia England

AN T O NS E N AND K JA E R S F E L D T RU N RI O T T O D E L I VER T I T L E Anders Antonsen deputised in the final for Viktor Axelsen and the young Dane did not disappoint in his utter demolition of Anatoliy Yartsev. On the same court where he won his European Junior Championships title two years ago, Antonsen was once again in cruise control leaving the Russian feeding of scraps.

B RO NZE

Germany

2015 Denmark

England Russia

England

2013 Germany

Denmark Russia

Antonsen took just 28 minutes to beat Yartsev and was every bit the value for his 21-7 21-8 win.

Line Kjaersfeldt looked in very determined mood in the team line up before the finals. Kjaersfeldt had a very up and down tournament on lead up to the final but as she has done so many times in the past she delivered the third and decisive point for her team when it was needed most.

Opposing her in the final was Evgeniya Kosetskaya and the Russian stayed in touch with Kjaersfeldt for two thirds of both games. But the aligning of the stars and the gritty determination of the Dane was always going to serve her well in the final and in truth the 21-15 21-15 win slightly flattered the Russian. “The feelings were good and it is a great honour to win the deciding point for Denmark. After the mixed doubles and Anders (Antonsen) won I knew this was my time to deliver and my game was better.�

In the end Denmark, if all truth be told, were virtually untouchable in the final. A team full of super stars who once again left the rest of Europe in their wake. Another European title for the Danes and while there were some decent individual performances from other European nations the facts are simple, the gap is growing between Denmark and the rest.

Congratulations to Denmark, winners of the 2017 European Mixed Team Championships in Lubin, Poland. And congratulations to all medalists.

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England

2011 Denmark

Germany Russia

Russia

2009 Denmark

England Poland

2008 Denmark

England

Poland

Denmark

Netherlands

England

Denmark

Netherlands

Germany

Denmark

England

Netherlands

2006

2004

2002

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SATURDAY, 1 S T OF APRIL 2 017 IN PRAGUE 1 9.00 CET FOLLOW THE AWARDS GALA LIVE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

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facebook.com/badmintoneurope

twitter.com/europebec

EUROPEAN BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

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KOLDING 2017

CHERVYAKOVA & MOROZOVA A partnership forged by destiny Article and photos by Mark Phelan

Some partnerships are put together out of necessity and in some cases partnerships are forced together for national reasons. Both processes can be very effective in their own way.

There are also partnerships that come together just out of luck or in the case of Russian pair Olga Morozova and Anastasia Chervyakova it was a case of pure destiny.

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PORT RAI T

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At ages 21 and 24 Morozova’s and Chervyakova’s paths did not cross until 2015 when they came together as a pair after splitting from their then regular partners. In Chervyakova’s case a split from Nina Vislova happened after the Russian veteran decided to concentrate on mixed doubles on the run up to the Rio Olympics.

“We both played with different partners and for different reasons those partnerships split up around the same time in 2015. It was simply destiny that we ended up together as both Anastasia and I needed a new partner and we decided to try it together as we knew that both our goals were the same in badminton. We played together at the Spanish Open in 2015 and got to the final so that was a pretty encouraging start”

« T HE F RE NCH LEA G U E S AL S O HAVE MO RE S PECTAT O RS AND MO RE LI F E I N THEM A ND T HIS IS SO MET HING WE W E RE MISSIN G I N R USSIA A ND T HE FRE NCH WAY, I G U E SS , JU S T F ITS O UR P E RS O N ALIT IE S . »

AN INDEPENDENT LIF E WITH A F R ENC H TWIS T As an international pair the fledgling partnership decided from an early stage to lead a very independent life on the road.

It did not take much convincing for Chervyakova to move to Moscow to live and train with Morozova and her coach, former Russian men’s doubles player and Atlanta Olympian Nikolai Zuev. Under the guidance of Zuev both Morozova and Cheryvakova began to develop their game and became very close friends off court also.

Financial issues also played its part in the Russian pair‘s decision to work as independent players outside of the national team set up. While both still relatively young both women have clear goals and objectives in their lives and being in control of their own destiny is something that fits them well.

Their nomadic frame of mind has brought them new experiences in life and probably the most influential of those independent decisions was for both to play club badminton in France albeit with different clubs.

“We decided on France because we just love the people and also our clubs have been very supportive of us and helped us so much. They make us feel so welcome and even worked with us to secure equipment endorsements which we are very thankful for.”

“The French leagues also have more spectators and more life in them and this is something we were missing in Russia and the French way, I guess, just fits our personalities.”

A WATER S H ED WIN IN WALES 2016 proved to be a watershed year for the Russian pair and after securing an early year win in Estonia they followed that with a win at the Russian Grand Prix in Vladivostok. Both Morozova and Chervyakova agree their win at the Welsh International 2016 has been the biggest success of their career to date.

“For sure the win in Wales was our biggest win as we really had to fight for that win from the start with so many good pairs in Cardiff.”

“We arrived in Wales fresh I remember as after commitments at the Russian nationals and University games it was our first circuit

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PORT RAI T tournament of the year. I think that circuit break worked well for us and in Wales we were hungry. It was a great feeling and the shopping after with the prize money was fun.”

The duo went one better shortly after winning the Italian International, the final International Challenge rated circuit tournament of the year, which pushed Chervyakova and Morozova within a hair‘s breadth of the world’s top 20.

KIN DRE D S P I RI T S O N C OU RT B U T YIN G & YANG O U T S I D E OF B A D M I N T ON Chemistry is key to an on-court relationship and there is no doubt as a pair heading towards the top 16 in the world and already multiple tournament winners that Russians they have that certain X factor on the court.

Off court both Morozova and Chervyakova have different interests and both have very contrasting personalities.

21-year-old Morozova hates cooking for example and as a self-confessed Harry Potter super fan likes nothing better than indulging in her favourite fictional character or hanging out with her friends and socialising back home in Moscow.

24-year-old Chervyakova on the other hand absolutely loves to cook and her favourite thing to do is cook for her family of four sisters and one brother and just spend time with them.

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Family time is precious for her and food and a board game or two with her siblings is the perfect chill out experience.

What both women have in common is a good grasp of the English language which is something else that has allowed them apply their trade on the international badminton circuit and independent athletes.

“Anastasia is also a sports nut” says Morozova “When it comes to sport she knows everything about every sport. We know about badminton but she knows all sports and is great to have at a sports quiz” OLYMPIC DR EAMS AND LIF E AF TER B ADMINTON As with all badminton professionals there is a singular goal.

Olympic Games is the big dream at that is the main goal for Russia’s top women’s doubles pairing.

Short term Morozova and Chervyakova are working towards the European Championships in Kolding, Denmark at the end of April.

“For sure Olympics is the big dream, it is our focus for the next four years. But coming up is the European championships in Denmark and a medal there is a major motivation for us. We believe we have what it takes to win a medal and both of us are focused towards achieving that”

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OLGA_MOROZOVA

CHERVYACHOK1406 While Morozova does not contemplate life outside of badminton after Tokyo, Cheryvakova being that few years older is starting to see Tokyo as the natural end to her on court career. The 24 year however is clear what she would like to do thereafter.

“I would love to be involved in sport media as commentator or doing interviews. I think I have a good broad knowledge off all sports so if not specifically Badminton I think I could fit into a media role in most sports.“ Back on court the Russian’s see Thai pair Puttita Supajirakul & Sapsiree Taerattanachai as the toughest pair they have faced in there almost two years as a pair.

“They are such a strong pair. The have a great attack, actually probably the best attack around. As a pair, they are very interesting as they are not standard. They do things differently that makes their opponents think all the time. We have played them twice and let’s say learned a lot from both games” Both girls sing from the same hymn sheet when asked who would be their ideal mixed and women’s doubles partners if they had the choice of any global player. Greysia Polii rolled off both their tongues while Joachim Fischer was the unanimous choice if mixed doubles were to be the event of choice.

2016 was certainly a coming of age year for the ever-optimistic Russian beauties. 2017 will bring new challenges for Morozova and Chervyakova as from the hunters they now become one of the hunted pairs on the circuit at least.

Their broad smiles and infectious laughter off court is in stark contrast to their competitive on court demeanour. As a pair, they have grown to be one of the most respected couples around the Badminton Europe circuit, more importantly have the respect of their peers, which in the modern world of sport can sometimes get lost in the search for success.

With the Rio Olympics now consigned to memory the focus for Russia’s top women’s doubles pair is Tokyo 2020 and 2017 should see them take a step closer to realising that dream.

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« I W OU L D L OV E T O B E I N V OLV E D I N S PORT M E D I A A S C OM M E N TAT OR OR D OI N G I N T E R V I E W S . »

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Y ON EX ES T O N I AN IN T ERN AT I O N AL Raul Must wins the first Badminton Europe Circuit tournament of 2017. The Estonian shuttler could celebrate a win on home soil as he beat England‘s Toby Penty (ENG) 16-21, 24-22, 21-13.

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CON IN PI C T ETN U RT E S

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TOTAL BWF BADMINTON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS GLASGOW SCOTLAND

2017

21 – 27 August 2017 Emirates Arena

The World’s best are coming.

Tickets on sale NOW.

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T O U R N AM E N T R E SULTS A U ST RIAN O P E N 2 01 7 MS: KANTA TSUNEYAMA (JPN) – PABLO ABIAN (ESP) 21–10, 12–21, 21–11 WS: KIRSTY GILMOUR (SCO) – FABIENNE DEPREZ (GER) 21–17, 21–9 MD: TAKUTO INOUE/YUKI KANEKO (JPN) – RASMUS FLADBERG/FREDERIK COLBERG (DEN) 21–19, 21–17 WD: RIRA KAWASHIMA/SAORI OZAKI (JPN) – WU QIANQIAN/XIA CHUNYU (CHN) 18–21, 22–20, 21–11 XD: MIKKEL MIKKELSEN/MAI SURROW (DEN) – GAO XIANGCHENG/XIA CHUNYU (CHN) 21–19, 17–21, 21–14 ICE LAN D I NT E RNAT ION A L 2 0 1 7 MS: SUBHANKAR DEY (IND) – KALLE KOLJONEN (FIN) 21–11, 21–17 WS: YANG LI LIAN (MAS) – LYDDIA YI YU CHEAH (MAS) 21–8, 21–11 MD: PAWEL PRADZINSKI/JAN RUDZINSKI (POL) – ZACH RUSS/STEVEN STALLWOOD (ENG) 24–22, 10–21, 21–16 WD: LYDDIA YI YU CHEAH/YANG LI LIAN (MAS) – GRACE KING/HOPE WARNER (ENG) 21–6, 21–16 XD: CALLUM HEMMING/FEE TENG LIEW (ENG) – STEVEN STALLWOOD/HOPE WARNER (ENG) 19–21, 21–16, 21–11 SWEDI S H I NT E RNATI ON A L 2 0 1 7 MS: TOBY PENTY (ENG) – WIBOWO SETYALDI PUTRA (INA) 21–12, 21–11 WS: MIA BLICHFELDT (DEN) – SOFIE HOLMBOE DAHL (DEN) 21–19, 21–16 MD: KONSTANTIN ABRAMOV/ALEXANDR ZINCHENKO (RUS) – RICHARD EIDESTEDT/NICO RUPONEN (SWE) 21–17, 22–20 WD: CLARA NISTAD/EMMA WENGBERG (SWE) – ALEXANDRA BØJE/LENA GREBAK (DEN) 21–17, 24–22 XD: MIKKEL MIKKELSEN/MAI SURROW (DEN) – MATHIAS BAY–SMIDT/ALEXANDRA BØJE (DEN) 21–18, 21–14 YO NEX E S T O NI AN IN T E R N AT I ON A L 2 0 1 7 MS: RAUL MUST (EST) – TOBY PENTY (ENG) 16–21, 24–22, 21–13 WS: DELPHINE LANSAC (FRA) – KSENIA POLIKARPOVA (RUS) 21–15, 21–14 MD: BASTIAN KERSAUDY/JULIEN MAIO (FRA) – HENRI AARNIO/IIKKA HEINO (FIN) 21–13, 21–14 WD: MARIYA MITSOVA/PETYA NEDELCHEVA (BUL) – DELPHINE DELRUE/LEA PALERMO (FRA) 21–12, 21–16 XD: RODION ALIMOV/ALINA DAVLETOVA (RUS) – ANATOLIY YARTSEV/EVGENIYA KOSETSKAYA (RUS) 21–8, 21–19 I.B .B . T U RK I S H I NT E R N AT I ON A L 2 0 1 6 MS: PATRICK BJERREGAARD (DEN) – GERGELY KRAUSZ (HUN) 21–19, 21–16 WS: CEMRE FERE (TUR) – CLARA AZURMENDI (ESP) 14–21, 21–16, 21–12 MD: VANMAEL HERIAU/FLORENT RIANCHO (FRA) – PAWEL PRADZINSKI/JAN RUDZINSKI (POL) 21–10, 18–21, 21–11 WD: ÖZGE BAYRAK/NESLIHAN YIGIT (TUR) – KADER INAL/FATMA NUR YAVUZ (TUR) 21–14, 21–16 XD: MELIH TURGUT/FATMA NUR YAVUZ (TUR) – RODION ALIMOV/ALINA DAVLETOVA (RUS) 21–19, 21–14 YO NEX X VI I TAL IAN I N T E R N AT I ON A L 2 0 1 6 MS: HENRI HURSKAINEN (SWE) – INDRA BAGUS ADE CHANDRA (ITA) 22–20, 21–13 WS: SABRINA JAQUET (SUI) – CLARA AZURMENDI (ESP) 22–20, 21–14 MD: JONES RALFY JANSEN/JOSCHE ZURWONNE (GER) – RICHARD EIDESTEDT/NICO RUPONEN (SWE) 21–17, 21–18 WD: ANASTASIA CHERVYAKOVA/OLGA MOROZOVA (RUS) – MARIYA MITSOVA/PETYA NEDELCHEVA (BUL) 21–18, 21–17 XD: JORDAN CORVEE/ANNE TRAN (FRA) – CHANG KO–CHI/CHANG HSIN TIEN (TPE) 21–13, 17–21, 21–17

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BWF PLAYER AWARDS Mazur and Suter-Erath were named BWF Para-Badminton Player of the Year

Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi’s spectacular performances this season were honoured with Player of the Year awards at the Players’ Reception and Gala Dinner in Dubai this evening. While Lee’s three World Superseries titles and the Olympic silver medal won him the Male Player of the Year, Matsutomo/Takahashi took home the Female Player of the Year award thanks to their Olympic gold medal and four Superseries titles. The Gala was held at the Armani Hotel in the iconic Burj Khalifa.

Lee was named for the honour ahead of other nominees Jan O Jorgensen (Denmark), Zhang Nan/ Fu Haifeng (China), Chen Long (China) and Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong (Malaysia). This is Lee’s fifth

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Player of the Year award – the highest by a player in any category; he had won it earlier in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.

Matsutomo/Takahashi were nominated along with Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon and Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara. They became the first Japanese to win the award since it was instituted in 1998.

“We’re extremely pleased,” said Matsutomo. “This year has been great for us. There were two memorable victories – the All England and the Olympics. We had an amazing year, and finishing the year with this award is unforgettable.”

India’s Pusarla V Sindhu, who has enjoyed a blazing run of form over the last few months, received the Most Improved Player award from HE Dawood Al Hajri, President of UAE Table Tennis and Badminton Association.

“I didn’t expect to get this award, so I’m excited and happy,” said Pusarla. “It’s good to be here in Dubai.

It’s my first time at the Dubai World Superseries Fi-

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nals. My draw is tough, I’m with Carolina (Marin), He Bingjiao and Sun Yu. I have to play well from the start.”

China’s rising star Chen Qingchen, winner of Superseries titles in both her categories, won the Eddy Choong Award for Most Promising Player of the Year. The other contenders were her Chinese compatriots He Bingjiao, Li Junhui/Liu Yuchen and Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei. “I’m very surprised,” said Chen. “This is an award I’ve always wanted to win. I suppose I won it because I’ve done well in both my categories. Hopefully I can win the title here in Dubai as well.”

In the para-badminton category, Lucas Mazur (France) and Karin Suter-Erath (Switzerland) were named the Para-Badminton Player of the Year in the Male and Female categories respectively. Mazur was named for the honour ahead of Germany’s Thomas Wandschneider, Poland’s Bartlomiej Mroz

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and Korea’s Lee Sam Seop, while Suter-Erath was chosen from a list that included Germany’s Katrin Seibert, Turkey’s Emine Seckin and Thailand’s Amnouy Wetwithan.

“It’s a very important achievement for me because it’s a celebration of my year,” said Mazur. “It has been a long year of training and travel, in Indonesia, Spain and Netherlands. I’m proud of my country that I got this award. It’s motivation for me to get ready for Tokyo 2020. It’s very important to be ready now for the Olympic Games. A year ago, I followed the player awards and when I didn’t win, I decided to work harder to win this title. I want to win it the next year also!”

Also honoured at the function were the Olympic gold medallists in all five categories, who received a golden shuttle.With players turning up at their stylish best, there were awards for the best-dressed player in the male and female categories. Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen and Malaysia’s Woon Khe Wei won the hearts of the jury.

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CATHRINE ROSENGREN A Para-Badminton star in the making Article and photos by Mark Phelan

Denmark’s Catherine Rosengren is not a name that rolls off the tongue in terms of badminton stardom or success. Indeed the 18-year-old from Solrod Strand in Denmark was pretty much unknown in para-badminton circles on the run up to the European Para-Badminton championships in Beek, The Netherlands last November.

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« T HE D E CIS IO N T O T RY PA RA-BA D M I NT O N WA S A DIFFICULT O NE FO R ME A S I HAV E PL AYE D AL L O F M Y BADMIN T O N U P T O NOW WIT H FUL LY ABL E BO D I E D P LAYE RS AND I F I AM H ONE ST T HAT IS HO W I SAW M YS E L F. »

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CON TRAI PORT E NTT Rosengren ended up blitzing all before her in Beek and in her very first tournament lifted gold in the women’s singles SU 5 category a win that has prompted the global Paralympic movement to earmark her in their January 2017 online article as one to watch on the road to Tokyo 2020.

The decision to head down the para-badminton road was not an easy one for Rosengren. A very capable player in her own right, and playing for an established club like Solrod Strand, she had been more used to threading the courts in mixed and women’s doubles in able bodied tournaments at a reasonably high level across Denmark.

She had been courted by Badminton Denmark on a few occasions to try her hand at para-badminton but the gutsy Rosengren felt she was as capable as all able-bodied players even with her minor left arm disability.

Finally, Rosengren gave in and decided to make her entrance at the European Para-Badminton championships a decision that she has since embraced as she now sets her sights on world and Olympic glory.

“The decision to try para-badminton was a difficult one for me as I have played all off my badminton up to now with fully able bodied players and if I am honest that is how I saw myself. But when I got to the Europeans I felt good there and relaxed and I liked the atmosphere and I can see para-badminton is really developing so after some time I finally embraced the idea of playing.”

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Rosengren however still feels she has a lot to offer able bodied badminton and plans to mix both as she moves towards Tokyo 2020 “After playing para-badminton I actually really enjoyed it and now a few months after winning the European Championships I am really proud of it. But I want to keep getting better and my plan is to mix both para and normal badminton and I would even like to play some Badminton Europe circuit tournaments to try and improve by playing against better players.”

Rosengren is also quick to attribute those around her for her success including her family, club and school. Her school in particular has been very flexible allowing her to fit her 6 training sessions per week, which includes two morning sessions, into her school schedule and her club continue to nourish her and she feels her club is a perfect place for her social and playing development.

“My club is great, I love it there. There is a real social feeling there where there are many social events where the best players play with some of the social players and everyone loves it. It’s a fun environment.”

So what does the future hold to one of our newest European Champions? Tokyo 2020 and the inaugural Olympic para-badminton competition is the big goal to our rising Solrod star. There is still the uncertainty of what categories will be included in those games with the final recommendations

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coming is September 2017 (according to BWF statement as of Jan 11th 2017) but Rosengren is hopefully her SU 5 category will be included and that she will compete in Tokyo.

“The Olympics is a big goal for me going forward. I will continue to work hard even before the announcement by the IPC at the end of the year. For me it is most important to keep working with fully able bodied players to get my own level higher.”

“I will also try and test myself more against the best Asian players as they will most likely be the biggest threat in the major competitions.”

But as a young 18-year-old there has to be some downtime and Rosengren likes nothing better than spending time with her friends when she is not in the badminton hall or in school. A soothing obsession with watching YouTube videos of pottery making is also something that Cathrine admits to using as a means of relaxation. Odd but if it works, and she has the medals to prove it does, then why change it!

As a player Rosengren knows her strengths and weaknesses and certainly her power and physicality on court is a huge bonus.

“I think people see me as a power player and I suppose that is correct.

I also think that I have a good mental ability. I know if a bad point comes I have the ability to put that point behind me and move onto the next and just stay in the moment. Certainly an area I need to work on is to be more patient in singles which is something I am working on.”

In terms of the development of para-badminton Rosengren is also realistic about where the sport is and things that are needed to move the sport forward.

“I think the sport is new and has a long way to go to develop. For sure we need more media exposure but also need a product that is worth broadcasting and writing about. That includes tournament presentation and the overall quality of the games. It would be great to see the like of Badminton Europe maybe streaming some semi-finals and finals as a start and who knows it may just develop from there.”

One thing is for sure Denmark’s Cathrine Rosengren has the drive and determination to succeed in the sport especially after wetting her appetite by claiming gold last November.

Only time will tell the kind of impact she will have but as one of Europe’s brightest stars the para-badminton world is at her feet.

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BEC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ALLOCATED TO HOLBÆK UNTIL 2020

With start from August 2017, Badminton Europe (BEC), has come to the decision that the facilities at Stenhus Gymnasium and Holbæk SportsCentre will form the framework for the biggest gamble in our 50year existence, so far.

“With the establishment of our Centre of Excellence, we mainly strive towards strengthening the sub-elite in European badminton. Hereby, creating more competition in Europe which will hopefully also strengthen our competitiveness toward the players from other Continents, particularly players from the top Asian countries.” says Brian Agerbak, General Secretary of Badminton Europe.

The agreement, which, initially will run until the end of 2020, should partly secure strengthening the training culture for the players at the Centre, but BEC also has the clear objective that the effort should have a positive effect on the general level of European badminton.

“The main work of developing badminton talents in Europe still needs to be done inside our Member Associations and we will still work towards strengthening national structures within the high-performance area. With the world-class facilities that Holbæk has to offer, we can offer a sustainable, high level training environment for the players that currently do not have sufficient training possibilities at home to reach their full potential.”

Centre of Excellence will be housing approximately 24 players in the next 3.5 years, who will be staying near Stenhus Gymnasium and training in the newly built Stenhushal (Hall of Stenhus) until Holbæk SportsCentre is ready by 1 January 2019.

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DEV E L O P M E N T

“At Holbæk SportsCentre, we are extremely proud that we have been entrusted with the role as hosts for the BEC Centre of Excellence, in fierce competition with other serious bidders”, says Carsten Damgaard, board member and spokesman for Holbæk SportsCentre.

“It is a great endorsement for the SportsCentre-project that a big international sports confederation has put us in favor, and we are very excited about the agreement/collaboration. We want to emphasize/ underline that we never would have been able to land such an important deal without the priceless and close partnership with Stenhus Gymnasium. Also, it will be exciting to be able to draw from the unique expertise available on several levels in the institution.”

Even though the municipality of Holbæk is not directly involved with the Centre of Excellence administratively or econo-

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mically, the excitement of the new agreement can be traced back to the City Hall, as well.

“That the badminton elite of Europe will be training and living in Holbæk, will provide a variety of secondary effects on our local environment.”, says Mayor Søren Kjærsgaard.

“Firstly, we are talking about an elite predecessor for the training environment in and surrounding Holbæk SportsCentre, and secondly, it will also give an extremely positive influence on the brand of Holbæk municipality and the exceptional development possibilities that the area possesses. Finally, one cannot overlook the synergy that the presence of BEC will have on the work in Holbæk Badminton Club. It will bring joy and inspiration to the many citizens that play the sport now and in the future.”

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BWF S U PE R SE R I E S F I N A LS Viktor Axelsen of Denmark celebrated a stunning victory at the BWF Superseries Finals in Dubai. The Dane winning the men’s final match against Tian Houwei of China managed to clinch his first ever Superseries title.

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JAQUET & ROTH LIGHT UP THE SINGLES CIRCUIT Article by Mark Phelan

The Badminton Europe circuit can be a savage place at times with little or no sentiment shown for those athletes that may be struggling with injury or form. It’s a dog eat dog world on a fast spin with players being spat out week on week who cannot make the grade.

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« IT HAS BE E N AN I N C R E D I B L E E N D T O 2 0 1 6 FO R M E . AF T E R A B A D S TA RT W I T H A D I F F I C U LT OLYMPIC Q U AL IF I C AT I ON I WA S R E A L LY ST R U GGLING T O FIN D M Y RHY T HM A N D L E V E L F OR M ON T H S . »

Unlike the Superseries tour the ‘circuit’ has an altogether more eclectic mix of athletes ranging from those trying to cut it as independent players, emerging juniors trying to make their mark, experienced seniors living the dream, athletes returning from injury and those top athletes taking a step down to try and find form to step back up again to the top tier.

Her first tournament post Rio was the Prague Open and a quarter final loss there was not exactly what the doctor ordered. However, her second-round win over Olga Konon gave us a small insight as to what was to come from Jaquet especially after saving a game point in the opening set against the normally ruthless German.

To survive on such a roller coaster, it takes not only talent but also a will and determination that sets you apart from the rest.

In singles, it takes even more mental fortitude to make the grade as on court you are your own boss and you are in control of your own destiny. This 2016/2017 season has seen two such resilient players take the circuit by storm, both who were struggling with form and fitness just 6 months ago.

At 29 time was running out for Jaquet to win her first ever senior circuit title but if you are going to do it why not do it at home and in front of your home crowd. The Swiss International in October had all the hallmarks in place for Jaquet to fail.

After all how many times before have we seen the top seed on home soil fail in their home tournament?

Both Sabrina Jaquet (Switzerland) & Fabian Roth (Germany) are opposite ends of the compass when we examine their routes to circuit success this season. 29-year-old Jaquet has been around the circuit block and a veteran of two Olympic Games while Roth, still just 21 years of age, was also at the Rio Olympics but not to compete. The German was there to provide sparring for Marc Zwiebler as Roth continued his yearlong rehabilitation from a career threatening hip injury.

SAB RI NA JAQ U E T – C I R C U I T ‘ S F I R ST L A D Y WIT H A NE W F O UN D KI L L E R I N ST I N C T The run up to the Olympic games was not exactly awe inspiring from Jaquet. The Swiss number one had a tough Rio qualification period. She lost to Linda Zetchiri at the European Championships in France and failed to register a win in Rio going down in the all European group to Kirsty Gilmour and once again Bulgaria’s Zetchiri.

Pressure to perform certainly played its part but something needed to change if Jaquet was to continue on past Rio. The 29-year-old came back to the circuit in September with a determination to enjoy the game more when she stepped on court.

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Yes, the draw was kind to Jaquet on that occasion in the International Series rated tournament but when all is said and done this was a tournament that in previous years Jaquet would have come up short and ultimately stumbled to a mid-tournament loss.

She took the title beating Lee Ying Ying of Malaysia and she could now after many years trying call herself a winner on the circuit. What that win served to do was re-energise the Swiss player and instill a new found self-confidence.

Jaquet took that new found confidence to Glasgow to the Scottish Open Grand Prix a beautiful tournament in every respect and a tournament that Jaquet will look back on for many years to come as pivotal in her career.

There was no easy draw in Glasgow in a tournament two steps higher than the Swiss International. If Jaquet was to succeed in Scotland she was going to have to go through a wall of Danish talent to get there.

Natalia Koch Rohde was the first big gun to fall to Jaquet in round two but it was her semi-final win over Mia Blichfeldt that endeared her to the Scottish fans and reaffirmed her as one of the fiercest competitors on court.

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Picture the scene, 1 game down and trailing 16-12 in the second to a young Dane who is not far away from a major win herself. At 20-19 down in that second game Jaquet hung in and court side could be heard talking to herself saying ‘Fight Fight Fight’ Jaquet took that second game with three unanswered points to send the match to a deciding set. Jaquet seized the initiative in the deciding set leading 17-13 and 19-16 but opposing her was one of Europe’s fiercest competitors.

Blichfeldt dished out to Jaquet a taste of her own medicine and reached match point at 20-19 and again at 21-20.

A few short weeks later Jaquet added another title to her name lifting the Italian International in Rome and once again the fighting spirit of the Swiss came through in the semi-final against top seed Beatriz Corrales.

The Dane, in control of the rally, played a sublime round the head cross court drop that for everyone in the arena, including Mia Blichfeldt, looked like a match winner. Indeed, Blichfeldt had just began to celebrate but the match was not over, at least in Sabrina Jaquet’s mind. The Swiss somehow managed to cover the ground get her racket on the shuttle and deliver a killer cross net off the floor winner to break the Dane once and for all. Jaquet went on to take the match 23-21 in what was one of the games of the season so far.

“It has been an incredible end to 2016 for me. After a bad start with a difficult Olympic qualification I was really struggling to find my rhythm and level for months. As a result confidence was low. In the summer I got some confidence back but had to work hard for it. I had decent matches in Rio and after that I just told myself to enjoy playing and be a bit more relaxed. I am really happy to be able to bring my level to the court now as things are finally coming together especially on the tactics and mental side”

The Swiss came up short in the 75 minutes final against another Dane Mette Poulsen, the previous days 75 minutes marathon against Blichfeldt ultimately taking its toll, but Jaquet announced her new found circuit status, as one to beat, that week in Glasgow.

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The Spanish top seed led 17-12 in the deciding set before Jaquet’s superior physical conditioning and mental strength helped her fend off two match points and took her through to the final where she beat yet another Spanish rising star Clara Azurmendi.

Jaquet now enters 2017 as one of the form European players and with her world ranking on the up and firmly embedded within the world’s top 50 she now set her sights on a European medal in Denmark. A Europe’s sixth ranked women’s singles player the opportunity is certainly there to fulfil her career dream with a European podium.

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FAB I AN RO T H – FR OM W I L D E R N E SS T O W I N NER In September 2016 Germany’s Fabian Roth was without a world ranking and still unsure if he even had a future in Badminton. The European Junior Champion from 2013 suffered a bad hip injury in 2015, the same injury that ended the career of compatriot Max Schwenger. By the end of the year Roth had won his first senior international and got himself back inside the world’s top 70.

The German’s credentials have never been in doubt. We know what Roth is all about ever since his Euro junior success at just 17 years of age where he saved 6 match points in the semi-final before going on to win the title. A young player with the playing maturity many seniors envy.

The big question surrounding the German was if his body, post rehabilitation, could match his ambitions and take him to title wins. Roth reappeared on the circuit in September and made the semi-final in Leuven. What made Roth stand out that week was the fact that his body held up to the demands of three qualification matches before collecting his first world ranking points of the year. Things looked good for the German. Two weeks later Roth went one step further. Again a trip through qualification just to make the main draw was followed by his first senior final at International Challenge level in Prague. A runners up spot to Pablo Abian represented a good week’s work for the German with the added bonus of a healthy body to spur him on.

Three huge performances followed as Roth stepped it up a level at Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. A quarter final at the Dutch open and Bitburger Open where qualification was still required before a semi-final appearance in Glasgow his first

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tournament where he did not have to qualify to participate.

The signs were good from a physical and mental perspective and the performance graph indicated his first senior win was just around the corner.

That win came shortly after in Ireland where Roth beat Brice Leverdez before seeing off Scott Evans in the final to win his first senior International.

The German has gone from Zero to Hero in just four short months. 6 tournaments played and no worse than a quarter final achieved with three of those results coming at Grand Prix & Grand Prix Gold level.

“It has been a tough year and difficult road back from injury” said the German after his victory in Ireland. “Those run of tournaments were very mentally draining and I think staying calm and focused between points in the final in Ireland was key to that success” Back in September the odds on both Sabrina Jaquet and Fabian Roth claiming maiden titles would have been pretty long.

To everyone but them, as both players have this in-built determination to succeed and to push themselves almost beyond their limits. The essence of success comes from deep inside and Jaquet and Roth, while opposites, have that magic switch deep within that when they need they can flick into overdrive to get those marginal gains on court.

2017 will be pivotal for both for different reasons. Roth moves to get a foothold in elite men’s singles and fulfil his undoubted badminton calling now that injury is a distant but sobering memory. Jaquet on the other hand, will be looking to medal at the European Championships, her life long dream, and given recent form cannot be discounted.

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INTERVIEW

A different perspective Manuel Rösler spoke to Ernesto Velazquez

The Badminton Europe Athletes‘ Commission is chaired by Finland‘s Nanna Vaino and it comprises two other members. It‘s Dutch world class player Selena Piek and Spanish International Ernesto Velazquez.

Velazquez has been appointed as a member of the BEC Athletes’ Commission in 2016. We spoke to the 28year-old about his appointment and his goals with the Commission and his future as a badminton player

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INT ERV I E W

What was the driving force for your to go for election on the BEC Athletes‘ Commission?

Well, I felt it was a new way for me to see badminton from a different perspective than just playing it. I want to help other players. Two of my favorite players are Hans-Kristian Vittinghus and Yuhan Tan – and they are both very much involved in official Commissions of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

It‘s a good way as well to see how badminton can be developed off-court and for me its a great possibility to discover how people work strategically in different countries.

Besides all that, I had some talks with Nanna Vainio as she was trying the make it to Olympics and we both decided to go for it. I had no doubt to join the Athletes‘ Commission.

What’s your ambition with the Commission?

Well, we try to improve some details to make it much easier for the players during tournaments.

The BEC Commission is mostly for European players that are playing the Circuit tournaments and from our Facebook group they can follow our goals and strategies. So, yes, I guess we are at least in touch with them.

Are you still playing international badminton?

I am trying to make my comeback as soon as possible. My goal is to play international tournaments from April onwards but it will all depend on how my body feels. In the past, I usually felt pain everytime I tried to play.

Finally, which achievement in your career are you most proud of?

I guess winning the Hungarian International in 2013 - after leaving the national center and living in Aalborg, Denmark – must be the biggest win for me. At that time I thought my badminton was on the decline but I was able to play some proper badminton and lift this title. And I knew it was going into the right direction.

We try to work step by step - because there were so many things we have talked about but we cannot cover all of them.

Our first thing to do was to come up with a time schedule of the future tasks during our last meeting held in Copenhagen.

For me, my ambition here is to get into more into badminton from another perspective and to improve our sport and its tournaments for the players.

What has been discussed and decided at the recent meeting(s)?

There were so many issues we discussed - and actually, to be honest, in some of them, I had no idea (laughs). I attented all the meetings because I wanted to get used to it and get some knowledge.

The most interesting thing for me was the topic when we spoke about Circuit tournaments and also the BEC Centre of Excellence that will be established by Badminton Europe.

I tried to bring in my point of view as player.

Are you in touch with our top athletes? And do you think they are aware of the commission and its mission?

Well, I have been out from international badminton for almost a year and a half. The last international tournament I took part in was the Yonex Hungarian International last October – so recently I have not been in touch with many players.

Actually, the European top players normally play only Superseries events and other big tournaments which are covered by BWF‘s Athletes‘ Commission so I guess they don‘t know much about us yet.

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Y O NE X G ER MA N O PE N Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen won an all-Danish men’s doubles final against Mads Conrad/Mads Kolding, 21-17, 21-13 to claim the Yonex German Open 2017 title in Mßlheim an der Ruhr.

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THE VERY DEFINITION OF THE SINGULAR WORD ICON

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Article by Manuel Rösler On February 17, only a month after his 80th birthday, one of the greatest badminton players of all time passed away in his home town Copenhagen, Denmark.

The 11-time All England champion Kops was clearly the dominant European Men‘s Singles player in the early- and mid-1960‘s.

He played 44 national matches for Denmark from 1957 to 1972.

In the 1960s, he travelled the world and continued to dominate the Men’s Singles category for nearly a decade.

His illustrious career ended with European Men’s Doubles medals in 1970 and 1972.

Known for his fast footwork and devastating smash, Kops served Badminton Denmark in administrative capacities after retirement and was always happy to help younger generations of players.

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Viktor Axelsen Sad news. Erland Kops passed away this morning. A legend in our sport and a great person. RIP.

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Nathan Robertson RIP Mr Erland Kops ... Danish Badminton legend. Met him several occasions at the All England, always great conversations. #allenglandman

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Peter Gade One of the biggest legends in our sport of badminton, Erland Kops, passed away this morning. Truly a legend to remember. We will honor him in every way we can.

RIP Erland.

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Jan Ø. Jørgensen Today we lost one of the biggest personalities in Danish badminton. Erland, Im proud to have known you. I always enjoyed your stories - you have been a great inspiration for many including me. Rest in peace.

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Hans-Kristian Vittinghus I had the pleasure of meeting Erland on several occasions as he often came to watch my Danish club play league matches. He was always up for a chat and some good advice. You could be 100% sure that he always gave you his honest opinion no matter the topic was. I really respected him for that. May he always be remembered as one of the greatest Danish badminton players and a wonderful person. Thanks for everything you did for badminton!

Both on and off the court Erland Kops has epitomised everything that is good and positive about the sport of badminton.

Icon is sometimes a word that is over used in modern sport but in the case of Erland Kops legend really is only a word as his achievements in badminton go way and above legendary status.

Kops was inducted into the Danish Sports Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame of the Badminton World Federation in 1997 and he received the Order of the Dannebrog, a knight‘s cross presented by the Queen of Denmark Margrethe II in 2002.

In 2012, Badminton Europe had the honour of inducting him as the first member into the „BEC Hall of Fame“.

“To be the first player elected in the European Badminton Hall of Fame is something I am very proud of. I love to go out to Badminton Europe’s office and see that beautiful painting that was awarded to me hanging on the wall“, Kops said in an earlier article of Badminton Europe‘s magazine.

Erland Kops will be rememered as one of the greatest badminton stars of all time.

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B A D M I N T O N EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MULHOUSE, FRANCE 7-16 APRIL 2017

CRÉDIT PHOTO : © BADMINTONPHOTO

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