Over the weekend, the New Zealand National Championships showcased some class badminton over in Tawa, Wellington North. As the new week starts, a number of the National Squad athletes will venture on to a new challenge as they travel onto the international stage over the next few weeks.

Two different groups will travel across the globe, one to Saipan, Northern Marianas, and the other to Thailand, to compete in a series of international tournaments. These events offer valuable world ranking points, exposure to high-level competition, and a key opportunity for player development.

For many of these athletes, the opportunity to compete internationally marks an important step forward in their development. Whether building on recent momentum or gaining vital experience, stepping outside of New Zealand to face global competition is a valuable part of their growth as elite players.

Edward Lau and Shaunna Li will be a pair to watch at the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open, entering the tournament as top seeds in the Mixed Doubles event. Meanwhile, exciting new combinations are set to make their international debut in the Men's Doubles where 2025 Oceania Junior Champion - Raphael Deloy will partner up with 2025 Oceania Men's Doubles Champion - Adam Jeffrey. Both pairs have just clinched National Championship titles over the weekend and we look forward to see how they perform at Saipan.

In Thailand, a new mixed doubles combination will also debut at the Toyota Thailand International Series featuring Justine Villegas (North Harbour) who will partner with 2025 Oceania Men's Doubles Champion - Dylan Soedjasa. Justine Villegas will also be partnering Jenny Zhu in Women's Doubles for both Thailand tournaments.

Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2025
August 5–10 - Saipan, Northern Marianas

• Men's Singles: Edward Lau (North Harbour)
• Women's Singles: Shaunna Li (North Harbour)
• Mixed Doubles: Edward Lau and Shaunna Li (North Harbour)
• Men's Doubles: Raphael Deloy (Waikato) and Adam Jeffrey (Auckland)

Toyota Thailand International Series 2025
August 5–10 - Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

• Women's Singles: Jenny Zhu (North Harbour)
• Mixed Doubles: Dylan Soedjasa and Justine Villegas(North Harbour)
• Women's Doubles: Justine Villegas and Jenny Zhu (North Harbour)

Century Insurance Saipan International 2025
August 12-16 - Saipan, Northern Marianas

• Men's Singles: Edward Lau (North Harbour)
• Women's Singles: Shaunna Li (North Harbour)
• Mixed Doubles: Edward Lau and Shaunna Li (North Harbour)
• Men's Doubles: Raphael Deloy (Waikato) and Adam Jeffrey (Auckland)

Toyota Thailand International Challenge 2025
August 12–17 - Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

• Women's Singles: Jenny Zhu (North Harbour)
• Mixed Doubles: Dylan Soedjasa and Justine Villegas(North Harbour)
• Women's Doubles: Justine Villegas and Jenny Zhu (North Harbour)
• Men's Doubles: Dylan Soedjasa (North Harbour) and Andika Ramadiansyah (Australia)

These international appearances reinforce the importance of giving our players exposure to different playing styles, high-pressure environments, and world-class opponents. We’re excited to see how each of them rises to the challenge and proud to support them as they represent New Zealand overseas.

Stay tuned to Badminton New Zealand's social pages for exclusive updates with the team.

In just under two weeks, a selected group of junior badminton players will head to Melbourne for the U15 Australian Invitational, a special international development opportunity aimed at helping our future stars gain valuable on-court experience and build connections across the ditch.

As part of the build-up, we asked the players what they’re most looking forward to and their responses.

Here’s a sneak peek at what they had to say:

“To play well and have fun”
“Playing with or against people I haven't met before, and learning how they play”
“I want to gain more experience and learn how I could get better”

Want to know which players shared these thoughts?
👉 Head to our Facebook and Instagram pages to see their profiles and full quotes!

We can’t wait to follow their journey as they represent Aotearoa on the international stage. Stay tuned for more updates and behind-the-scenes moments from Melbourne!

Congratulations to the following players who have been selected in the New Zealand U15 Team - Australia Invitational.

The team will travel to Melbourne, Australia in May to be part of the U15 Australian International experience which will consist of team building, training sessions and tournament match plays!

We are excited to see this opportunity for New Zealand's Juniors and look forward to see how the juniors will make the most of it in Australia.

New Zealand U15 Australian Experience Team

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.