SBA Badminton Academy to kick off on 3 June

SBA Badminton Academy to kick off on 3 June

The Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) announced today that beginning from 3 June, youths can learn how to play badminton from Singapore’s former shuttlers at the “SBA Badminton Academy @ ActiveSG”. The announcement was made during the academy’s official launch where more than 100 boys and girls from various schools participated in a friendly badminton tournament held at the Pasir Ris Sports Hall.

The launch also saw 140 national and school team shuttlers complete a record-breaking badminton rally with the most number of participants as well as the longest badminton rally with 1140 consecutive shots.

Said Guest-of-Honour Mr Baey Yam Keng, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, “Badminton is one of the most popular sports in Singapore. The new SBA Badminton Academy will create opportunities for more young Singaporeans from diverse backgrounds to enjoy the sport. Many of our former national shuttlers have joined the Academy as coaches. In time to come, we also hope to discover and groom talented badminton players to represent Singapore.”

Mr Michael Foo, Secretary-General of the Singapore Badminton Association, said, “The SBA Badminton Academy will have a structured programme designed to inculcate the right values and skills to children to give them a strong foundation in badminton right from the start. Our full-rounded programme will also include workshops for parents so they can also be a part of their child’s badminton journey. We hope our academy will ultimately help to widen the playing pool of local shuttlers and enhance the quality of badminton in the country.”

The SBA Badminton Academy will be helmed by its principal and former national shuttler, Ms Jiang Yanmei. A former Olympian who represented Singapore during the 2004 Summer Olympics, Jiang was previously the head coach of the SBA’s former youth development programme. She is currently supported by four head coaches.

Jiang said, “It is a privilege to get the chance to lead the academy and give back to the local community who has given me so much support when I was playing for the national team. There are many current and former shuttlers who will jump at the chance to impart their knowledge to the youths in the country and I hope the academy can become a place where we can play our part to get more Singaporeans to share our passion for badminton.”

Previously a private coach that runs his own programmes, current SBA Badminton Academy head coach Mr Wayne Kuo said, “I believe the new academy will create a heightened interest in the sport, leading to more people playing this sport and a bigger market for both the SBA Badminton Academy and other private academies. The training provided by the SBA Badminton Academy to upgrade myself will also help make my programmes better. In the long run, I see a win-win situation for local badminton fraternity, with everyone working together for the interest of the sport.

The SBA Badminton Academy is open for registration for children aged six to 17 years old. The programme will kick off on 3 June at six Sports Centres around the island. Parents interested to find out more information or sign their child up for the programme can do so at SBA Badminton Academy.