I have been involved with badminton most of my life – as a player, coach and volunteer – professionally for over 20 years. I feel incredibly fortunate to have played a small part in the last three Olympic Games. In my senior years, I still relish the competition and camaraderie that playing badminton brings. These days, I live my life at a somewhat slower pace, both on and off the court. Yet I still enjoy supporting people and organisations from across the British high-performance system, helping them face challenges and providing practical guidance to aid their progress.
I am thoroughly enjoying my current position in Badminton Wales. As a member of the Board, I am ambitious to play a part in realising our goals. My specific area of responsibility on the Board is the talent pathway and our medal ambitions. Historically, we have been successful both in Europe and at the highest level. However, this has not been the case for a number of years. My role, supporting the CEO, began some time ago and helped establish some of the building blocks, which, going ahead, would be necessary to turn things around and keep up with the rest of the world as our sport grows.
In simple terms, I believe, success in our sport can be summed up by having:
- More people being inspired to take up the sport and get better.
- More people regularly competing across the country.
- An accessible pathway and performance programme that enables players to explore what they might be capable of.
I have faith that achieving the above, with a strong competitive base and a vibrant badminton community, will, in the long term, enable Welsh players to compete with the best in the world once again.
At the preparation camp prior to the start of Tokyo Olympics
We are acutely aware of the challenges we face, but at the same time, we also feel optimistic about the possibilities. The appointment of a dedicated technical lead to facilitate our performance ambitions has been a major step forward. The role of the Head of Performance has far-reaching responsibilities, most significantly, in educating and guiding young players, coaches, and parents in what it takes should a player have the capability and determination to pursue their dreams on the international stage.
At the Olympic Village in Tokyo
The role of coaches will be critical if we are to realise our true potential. We need more coaches across the country, and they need to be highly trained and personally ambitious to learn and deliver the best possible coaching experience to those players and groups they work with. Although we are just starting out, we are already looking forward to announcing some initial practical steps towards raising the number of coaches and the standard of coaching across Wales in the near future.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes, driven by both staff and volunteers. Hopefully, what I have mentioned here gives a sense of our commitment and a glimpse into what is going on. My wish, alongside my fellow board members, is that we can continue to play a meaningful part in what lies ahead.
