This weekend, the New Zealand Junior Squad celebrated a significant milestone with their official shirt presentation at the Counties Manukau Badminton Association. The event was attended by the selected players, board members, family and supporters, making it a memorable occasion.

Representing New Zealand on the world stage is a remarkable achievement, and this day was a celebration of the hard work and dedication, not only from these young athletes but also from their supporters who have put in an immense amount of work to reach this level.

A special thank you goes to Yonex Badminton Australia / New Zealand for providing the official World Junior squad shirts. Their continued support is invaluable to the development of our junior athletes.

Following the presentation, the squad underwent two days of education, team-building activities and intense training. The weekend wrapped up with a sparring session against the National Development Squad, culminating in a relay simulation - mirroring the team format they compete with at the World Junior Championships in Nanchang, China.

"The BWF World Junior Championships is held annually and consists of two separate competitions: a mixed team championships for the Suhandinata Cup followed by an individual championships for the Eye Level Cups – all hosted over 12 days and attracting up to 50 teams and 400 players from around the world.

The Championships provides badminton fans with a first glimpse of the stars of the future. The World Junior Championship is the first opportunity for talented young badminton players to represent their country in a world event in the sport.

It is also an opportunity to experience top level competition and perhaps put them on the pathway towards becoming one of the stars of the future." - BWF

Stay tuned for more updates on how the World Junior Championship format has changed as we follow the journey of these young athletes at the World Junior Championships!

Badminton New Zealand is thrilled to announce the squad selected to represent New Zealand at the 2024 World Junior Mixed Team Championships in Nanchang, China.

Meet the Team

Experienced Competitors

Four members of the team—Raphael Deloy, Jaden Mingoa, Josephine Zhao, and Lezhi Zhu—are making their second appearance at the World Junior Championships, building from their previous experience on the international platform.

Tournament Schedule and Group Placement

The World Juniors Championships will kick off with the team event on 30 September 2024 to 5 October 2024. New Zealand has been placed in Group D, where they will face the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Cook Islands.

After the team event, the players will turn their focus to the Yonex World Junior Championships - Individual Event on 7 to 13 October 2024.

Preparation and Support

In preparation for the championships, the New Zealand Junior squad will be training in Auckland under the guidance of the head national coach. The team will be participating in a range of activities, including team-building exercises, intense training sessions, and organized match simulations over the weekend. These practice matches will take place against senior players, providing the squad with valuable experience and sharpening their skills before they head off to China. This focused preparation is designed to enhance both their individual performance and team cohesion as they gear up for the world stage.

Stay tuned for more updates and follow the journey of our New Zealand World Junior team as they take on the world in Nanchang, China.

Good luck to the team as they represent New Zealand!

The Kiwis have landed in Sydney for the Sathio Australian Badminton Open. The team has had a packed schedule, flying straight from the Wisden Cup to Australia in less than five hours.

The Kiwis had a practice session at the main hall at the Quaycentre Sydney Olympic Park - “The stadium is huge, so there’s a different feel to how rallies play out. It’s not often we get a chance to compete at a Super 500, so I’m looking forward to being on court and taking in the experience.” - Dylan Soedjasa.

First to compete in the Australian Open will be Edward Lau in the Men's Singles Qualification against Australia’s Ken Richardson. Edward shared, “We got to train at the main hall yesterday to adjust to the stadium and the shuttles, and I’m feeling good going into this match. I’m excited to be playing in my first Super 500 tournament.”

Edward Lau is coming in as a strong contender to represent New Zealand, having a phenomenal result from the 2024 Oceania Championships in the Men's Singles, we look forward to see what how he performs throughout the tournament.

Later in the afternoon, Rizky and Putra, the reigning Australian National Champions, will face off against New Zealand's top doubles pair, Dylan Soedjasa and Adam Jeffrey. This promises to be an exciting match! Adam noted, “Playing in the main hall yesterday was good, but I’m not used to playing with a drift, so that’s something I need to think about.” Dylan added, “It's always challenging to play new opponents as we will have to make quick adjustments during the match.”

Mixed Doubles matches will be played on Wednesday. Stay tuned and follow the results here.

The biggest tournament in Oceania is just two weeks away, and four of our very own Kiwis are set to compete among the world's best!

The SATHIO Group Australian Badminton Open - Super 500, a star-studded event featuring top players like Jonatan Cristie (Indonesia), FENG Yan Zhe and HUANG Dong Ping (China) plus many more, will see New Zealand represented in Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events.

Leading the charge in Men’s Singles is the current Oceania Men's Singles Champion, Edward Lau. This marks Edward’s debut in a Super 500 tournament, presenting a fantastic opportunity for him to gain experience and compete against higher-ranked players.

Edward will be teaming up with Gronya Somerville, the 2024 Oceania Mixed Doubles Champion from Australia, for their debut in the mixed doubles event. The two recently faced off against each other with their respective partners (Shaunna Li - NZL and Kenneth Choo - AUS) at the 2024 Oceania Individual Championships in Geelong, where Lau and Li closely missed out in a 3 game match for the Oceania Mixed Championship title. “I don’t really have any expectations; we’re probably the underdogs since we’re a scratch pairing. I’m looking forward to challenging others and hopefully beating them,” says Edward.

When asked about potential challenges, Edward notes, “I think there will be times where we get confused on court since we’re not used to playing together. However, if this happens, I believe we’ll be able to scramble and cover for each other.”

Joining the mixed doubles to represent New Zealand are Adam Jeffrey and Justine Villegas. Justine shares, “It’s really exciting to get the opportunity to play against the world's best especially in Australia. Our last international tournament was in May last year, and our partnership was less than a year old back then. This level of competition is a huge jump from International Challenges to the Super 500, but it’s definitely something we can learn from.”

Jeffrey adds, “Like Justine said, I’m excited! It’ll be fun, and I want to see the gap between us and these top players. I feel like I haven’t earned my spot to play in it, but this opportunity showed up and we’re definitely very fortunate to compete in a Super 500.”

In addition to Mixed Doubles, Adam will represent New Zealand in Men’s Doubles with Dylan Soedjasa - 2024 Oceania Men's Doubles Runner-Up. “I love these big tournaments because we get the chance to play against different styles of badminton. With New Zealand being quite a small country, we often play the same people, so it’s great to face new opponents.”

The Australian Open Super 500 will take place from 11-14 June 2024 in Sydney. The draw will be released on 4 June 2024. Stay tuned to see who the Kiwis will be up against!

---

Raphael Deloy (Waikato) and Markis Tew (North Harbour) have been taking the badminton scene in Malaysia over the past month.

Participating in three tournaments, the pair not only reached the finals each time but have emerged victorious for two out of the three. An exceptional accomplishment, showcasing their talent and determination.

Reflecting on their experiences, Markis shares insights gained from facing stronger opponents.
"Even against tough competition, particularly the tournament's top seeds, we approached the games with the mindset of giving our best without the expectation of winning. This approach, coupled with reduced pressure, allowed us to elevate our performance and secure victories." Markis Tew - North Harbour.

Looking ahead, Markis expresses his intention to maintain a relaxed mindset in future matches, recognising its positive impact on his gameplay.

Beyond competitions, their stint in Malaysia includes intensive training at the Rommy Badminton Club, contributing to their development.

Raphael Deloy highlights "the part I enjoy the most about this trip is all the friends I have made and how they make all the training sessions more enjoyable". Inspired by their training abroad, Raphael is keen to bring back the intensity of drills and fast-paced movements to elevate the training regime in New Zealand.

As the boys kick-start the year on a high note, Raphael is gearing up for the Oceania Individual and Team Championships in February, setting a promising tone for the upcoming tournaments.

Congratulations to both Raphael and Markis! We are excited and thrilled to see what they have in store for the rest of the year!

Badminton New Zealand is excited to announce the selected teams for the Victor Oceania Men's and Women's Team Championships.

Our teams will compete from the 16th to the 18th of February in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. They will battle against other Oceania regions for a spot at the TotalEnergies BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu, China, in April.

We are also pleased to announce that both teams will be coached by Rikke Olsen-Siegemund and Oliver Leydon-Davis.

Congratulations to all the players!