Saskatchewan to host Badminton championships

Saskatoon will now host a pair of national Aboriginal sporting championships this year.

For starters it was announced in January that officials with the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) had stepped forward at the last moment to save this year’s National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC).

It appeared the tournament would be cancelled this year as no group was willing to stage the event, even after bid submission deadlines had been extended.

The STC, which was keen to host the 2012 NAHC, agreed to also run this year’s tournament. That event runs Apr. 25-30. And now it has been announced that the STC will also stage the inaugural Canadian Aboriginal Badminton Championships.

This tournament will be held July 5-9 at Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate, where a dozen competition courts will be set up.

“We’re anticipating we’re going to have about 400 players,” said tournament organizer Mark Arcand.

Besides players from Saskatchewan, Arcand said groups from Ontario, Manitoba, Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories have expressed interest in sending representatives to the tournament.

Arcand believes other competitors from other provinces might also show up.

“We’re just getting the word out now,” he said.

Arcand believes a national badminton tournament will succeed, in part because of the sport’s popularity whenever the Saskatchewan First Nations Winter Games are held every two years.

“It is one of the events that is most attended,” Arcand said.

The national tournament will feature girls’ and boys’ divisions in four age groupings; under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18.

Besides singles and doubles play, there will also be mixed doubles divisions. Participants can enter all three disciplines in their age group.

Arcand believes the national badminton event will be a success and that it will become an annual affair. But he doesn’t want to see it moved around to different parts of the country.

“We originated it,” he said. “So we plan to keep it here in Saskatchewan.”

Those that sign up for this year’s national tournament - the registration fee is $100 regardless of the number of disciplines entered - can also attend a clinic, which will be held on July 4.

This event will feature eight Canadian national team badminton players. Besides on-court tips, those who attend the clinic can also take part in various seminars covering topics such as proper nutrition and mental training. The registration deadline is June 15.

Those wishing to compete at the national tournament must be Aboriginal and registered with a provincial or territorial association affiliated with Badminton Canada.
But since organizers will also match up players who are looking for a partner, competitors will not necessarily just be representing their own province or territory.

More information about the national tournament is available by calling Arcand at (306) 280-5394.