Junior badminton

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 10 December 1975, Page 42

Junior badminton

Badminton in Canterbury is likely to enlarge its administrative base next year with the formation of a junior association to look after players below the age of 18. The idea has come from Mr A. G. Duckmanton. vicepresident of the Canterbury Badminton Association, and a meeting of interested parties has already been held. The association has approved it in principle, and a recommendation that a junior association be formed will probably be put to the next annual meeting. Such a junior association would be similar to that which operates in tennis. The new body would take over the running of all junior tournaments and coaching schools, but at the same time be responsible to the senior association. Mr Duckmanton sees the scheme as a way of fostering badminton in schools, introducing more tournaments for the younger players, and putting junior coaching on a firmer basis. The association president (Mr J. R. Thome) is in favour

of it because a junior association could help “take the sport out to the people.” There had been a tendency in recent years, said Mr Thome, for badminton to be concentrated too much on the one area, the Skellerup Hall in Aranui. He said there were now a number of suitable halls around the city and they should be used more. The establishment of junior coaching groups in the suburbs would meet this need, and at the same time take some pressure off Skellerup Hail.