Students hope to continue the sport of badminton
After their three weeks at the training clinic, students from all over Roodepoort are passing the legacy of badminton on to the next generation.
The badminton training clinic held at the Witpoortjie Recreation Centre has ended, and all the students were rewarded a certificate by Ward 71 councillor Réne Benjamin.
The training clinic held by Esmeralda Badminton Club in collaboration with the recreation centre had their final class on July 11, where Benjamin handed each student an attendance certificate.
Magda Hamman from the club stated, “The Winter Holiday Clinic initiative can be described as a huge success. This was the first clinic to be hosted at the recreation centre. Students were total beginners, and within three weeks they had developed the necessary groundwork and technique to take the sport to the next level. We are incredibly impressed by the youngsters of Princess High, Hoërskool Bastion and Hoërskool Die Adelaar. Their enthusiasm and high spirits were noteworthy, even on the last day when there was no power at the centre, they insisted on playing and finishing their training. They are talented and showed great potential.”
Benjamin added, “I think it’s a great plan, any sport that you can get young people involved in is a benefit, its discipline, its skill, its precisions and you’re always adding to their skillset by doing that. The four of them that were there are so thrilled, they were so pleased and thanked the coaches for introducing them to the sport, and they certainly picked up the bug.”
One of the students, Andile Ngcwabe said, “Coming into training, I was curious about the sport itself because it’s something I thought we didn’t have in South Africa. I am interested in the sport now that I was exposed to it as it’s filled with adrenaline and gets the blood boiling. I will continue playing badminton if opportunities arise. Now that training is over, it’s saddening but I do feel accomplished and I’m happy that I’ve learned something new.”
Another student, Keamogetswe Tabethe said it was a nice experience to get to know the coaches as well as the other players and he would recommend the sport to others. He added it ‘is a nice and interesting sport and thanked all the coaches for the humble experience and the invite to the clinic’.
“Students described the three weeks as inspiring, learning a new sport, having fun and meeting new friends. This group will be also initiating the next generation of badminton players in the area, by starting to play at the recreation centre on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after school from 14:30 to 16:00. They also encourage other students to join the Junior Witpoortjie Badminton League,” Magda concluded.
She continued to say the students are looking to start classes at the recreation centre now that they know the basics, and can pass it on to others. She asked for the community’s support in donating any badminton equipment they might not use anymore, which she will gladly collect. Benjamin can be contacted on 073 734 0061.
