The Cyprus U17 training camp was organized from June 26-June 30, 2017 in the village of Kyperounta, at an altitude of 1100 meters, in the Troodos mountains of Cyprus. The Cyprus Badminton Federation hosted the 5-day training camp, funded by Badminton Europe, with participation from 18 players and 3 coaches from 3 countries, Cyprus, Israel and Greece.

As a part of BEC’s Regional Projects, U17 players who are potential participants in the next European U17 championships, came together to practice and share their badminton knowledge. The players and coaches worked hard to prepare for the European U17 championships. The dedication and professionalism of all players and coaches allowed knowledge and expertise to be exchanged during the camp, to the benefit of all participants.

Knowledge from the different countries participating was shared during the sessions and helped everyone improve their level in badminton. A friendly atmosphere, high determination, and focus during the training enabled the players to bring their best; learn a lot from each other and improve their badminton skills.
For five days the players practiced together, had their meals together and also participated in fun activities to get to know each other better.  The training sessions included physical exercises, technical skills, stroke selection and implementation, and tactics for singles, doubles and mixed. In addition, the tournament organized during the camp gave the players the opportunity to test their skills and compete against other talented players from the three participating Member Associations.

Every day, but also during the evenings, the coaches worked together to make the practice as beneficial as possible for the players. By working together the coaches had a chance to exchange experiences and learn from each other.
As Cyprus National team coach Saber Afif stated: “I enjoyed the camp and I am sure the kids did also. In our region we need to be creative and help each other. 

For these countries we have to look for more opportunities like this, to help us develop the level of badminton in the region.”
After five days full of hard work, but also a lot of fun, the players left to return to their homes, filled with great experiences and memories, but also really wanting to come back the following year, if possible. For the three participating nations, Cyprus, Greece and Israel, that don’t have the same opportunities as other European countries to learn from, and compete against other nations because of their geographical location and distance to other European countries, the camp was very valuable.

Through the training sessions and the activities of the camp, the goals of the project, which were to exchange knowledge, create and strengthen relationships between players and coaches of the 3 participating countries and prepare the players for the next European U17 Championships, were achieved.