Kuala Lumpur: Bulgarian athlete Kaloyana Nalbantova had the chance to participate in an exceptional summer training camp in Malaysia alongside some of the best talents from Europe and Malaysia Badminton Association of Malaysia – BAM.
The World Class Programme continues its aim to support the best competitors in European badminton. It is designed to support the continent’s top players, talents and coaches in their quest to win medals in top-level competitions. This time the focus was on the “World Class Junior” boys and girls.
A selection of the brightest talents in European badminton was invited to take part in an exclusive training camp developed with the support of the BEC High Performance Commission in Malaysia, one of the best countries in sport.
BEC World Class Junior Camp in Malaysia had participants, including European Champion for Girl Kaloyana Nalbantova, who will continue her stay in Asia after the camp with participation in two tournaments from August 29 to September 3 -Indonesia Challenge and from September 5 to 9 – Indonesia Super 100 Olympic Qualifiers.
Nalbantova was placed at number 7 in the first tournament and will play in the first round against a qualifier. José Antonio Crespo Ortiz and Anu Nieminen, former professional players and now professional coaches, joined the competitors.
The young players had two training sessions a day, with a recovery day on Sunday, as well as weight training and theory sessions on topics such as high-performance thinking and tactical aspects of the game.
Players had to try and adapt not only to the Asian training culture but also to the climate. It helped them understand what it takes to be a world-class player to overcome challenges. Famous guests were also invited to inspire young talents such as legend Lee Chong Wei.
Following the completion of the BEC World Class Junior Camp in Malaysia, the future of European badminton left with enriched skills, cultural insights and encounters with badminton legends.
This unique experience will accompany them on the journey to achieving world-class. “Getting the opportunity to go to Malaysia for a two-week training camp should be a dream for every young European badminton talent and an experience of a lifetime.”
“I would like to extend a huge thank you to the Badminton Association of Malaysia for welcoming everyone to their training sessions”, concluded Jacob Oehlenschlaeger, senior development and achievement manager at Badminton Europe.