A selection of Europe’s top talents got the chance to participate in an exclusive summer training camp in Malaysia.
The World Class programme continues its goal of supporting the top figures of European badminton — a programme conceived to support the top players, talents, and coaches of the continent in their quest for winning medals in the highest-level competitions. This time, the focus was the area of World Class Junior.
A selection of the brightest talents in European badminton was invited to take part in an exclusive training camp developed with the support of the BEC High Performance Commission in an unparalleled location — Malaysia, one of the top countries in our sport.
The BEC World Class Junior Camp in Malaysia had 17 participants accompanied by José Antonio Crespo Ortiz and Anu Nieminen, former professional players, and now professional coaches.
Among the talented players selected for this exciting experience was Charles Fouyn, Belgium. “I was really lucky to be picked to participate in the World Class Junior Camp because BAM have one of the best badminton centres in the world,” said the Belgian player, who had also participated in last year’s World Class Junior Camp that took place in Denmark, another top badminton nation.
The junior players had two training sessions per day — with a recovery day on Sunday — as well as weight training sessions and theoretical sessions on topics such as High Performance mindset and tactical aspects of the game. “I was really surprised by the intensity of the training both in the duration and the style of training,” Fouyn pointed out.
The players got to experience and adapt not only to the Asian training culture, but also to the climate. These helped them understand what is needed for a world-class player to overcome challenges. “I was also able to discover Malaysian culture and the development of badminton in their country,” Fouyn said of his two weeks of training in the Asian country. There were also some notable guests that would inspire the young talents. “I met the legend Lee Chong Wei. That was a special moment because he is my idol since I was a child.”
As the curtains drew on the BEC World Class Junior Camp in Malaysia, the future of European badminton left with enriched skills, cultural insights, and a brush with legends. This unique experience promises to resonate as they continue their journey towards becoming world class players.
“Getting the opportunity to go to Malaysia for a two-week training camp must be a dream for any young European badminton talent and based on the feedback received, it seems like an experience for life. I’d like to give a massive thank you to the Badminton Association of Malaysia for welcoming us to their national training,” Development & High Performance Senior Manager at Badminton Europe, Jacob Oehlenschlaeger, concluded.