Badminton Flies High in Tunisia

May 7, 2021

A series of development activities to further develop and promote badminton in the country were held from 11–23 March 2021 by the Tunisia Badminton Federation with support from BCA Development Officer Ahmad Reda and BWF Dubai Badminton Development Manager Jaffer Ebrahim.

A six-day BWF Coach Level 1 course in Arabic was the first activity led by Reda and Jaffer. It was attended by 15 participants (11 men and four women) and covered the fundamental knowledge of badminton coaching through theoretical and practical sessions.

An AirBadminton workshop and launch/competition was then held in Tozeur with 24 participants. Ong El Jamel, famous for being the filming location of Star Wars, provided a stunning backdrop for the activity organised by Tunisia Badminton Federation in partnership with the local administration and sports and tourism departments. It also served as a test event for an international AirBadminton competition planned for November.

A one-day Para badminton workshop was delivered to the participants who attended the BWF Coach Level 1 course, which aimed to introduce the sport’s six classes and provide practical experience to participants. The workshop was attended by officials from various government organisations and sports clubs that work with people with disabilities.

BWF Shuttle Time Schools programme forms the foundation of the Tunisian Badminton Federation development strategy. With a two-day Shuttle Time Tutor Course capping the experience, the newly-certified tutors are now ready to expand the programme to cities across Tunisia.

Graced by government officials, including the Minister of Education and Governor of Tozeur, the Tunisia Annual Badminton Development Conference highlighted recent achievements by Tunisia Badminton Federation and explored opportunities to grow the sport such as:

  • Shuttle Time remains a priority for Tunisia, where the Tunisian Badminton Federation continues to receive phenomenal support from the Ministry of Education.
  • AirBadminton is the new focus area and the Tunisia Badminton Federations aims to host an international event in November.
  • Tunisia is preparing to host the African Schools Championship and African University Championship this year.
  • Para badminton is an opportunity area with an excellent Para system in the country.

Reda, alongside several newly-certified Shuttle Time Tutors, led an inclusive AirBadminton session in Sfax with able-bodied and Para players. The team then visited the Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax to discuss the implementation of the Shuttle Time University course at local higher education institutes.

We look forward to more amazing badminton activities in Tunisia!