This year saw Badminton Europe’s Centre of Excellence celebrate its fifth birthday. Growth has been substantial, however, in the most challenging year so far, learn how the Centre was able to stay strong and now looks towards a bright future.
Five years ago, when the project started, the number of players were fewer than today. Over time, numbers grew as players and federations began seeing that it is a good place to be for many of their top talents. When arriving and trying the facilities, there is often great positivity when witnessing first-hand how Europe’s future stars can flourish in this environment.
The CoE project has been a significant investment but is seen as an important one. Allowing players to fulfil their potential in a sustainable high-performance environment.
Richard Vaughan is Chair of the High-Performance Commission for Badminton Europe and has been involved since the inception of the concept of a World Training centre in Europe. He recently shared some insights into the promising path being carved at the CoE for European badminton.
“When we started to move to the brand new Holbæk Sportsby in August 2019 to March 2020, these were the best months. The number of top players coming to the CoE was at an all-time high. Players could see the significant investment and what benefits they can get from the Centre. Then, unfortunately, COVID-19 hit. Denmark, like much of Europe and the rest of the world, swiftly went into a lockdown, and we lost the momentum that we had built.
The last year has been one of rebuilding, and with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games just around the corner I am confident it is going to get pretty busy the next twelve months.”
The CoE is the complete package
Particularly pleased by the current developments, Badminton Europe Development and High-Performance Senior Manager, Jacob Oehlenschlaeger, explains what this symbolises for the Centre’s good work.
“It shows there is a lot of interest in the Centre of Excellence and that what we are providing for our MAs in Holbæk is really good. We have a very experienced coaching team and a great group of players who are really keen on improving their badminton game. The complete package is quite good, and the players appreciate that.”
More details on the Badminton Europe Centre of Excellence can be found by clicking here.