The players are back at Centre of Excellence (COE) and clearly, they have been looking forward to going back on the court.

On Wednesday 10 June the players were back at Centre of Excellence in Holbæk, Denmark, for the first time since March. Ten players attended the training on Wednesday and four to six players are expected to arrive in Denmark in the upcoming week.

Smiling all the time
One of the players back on court is World number 143, Milan Dratva from Slovakia.

- Nothing beats the feeling being back on court. I have not even realized how much I missed the game. I am smiling all the time at the moment, the men’s singles player said.

- I have missed being able to do what I love, and I have been missing working under the guidance and supervision of COE coaches. On court it surprised me that my strokes were sharp from the first moment, he added.

Swedish Felix Burestedt is also back at the COE.

- It is great to be back. I missed the players and the coaches, and it is really nice to have someone outside the court to whom you can speak about your game, he stated.

Top-level training
Multiple daily training sessions will take place in the badminton venue, in the gym and outdoor, and with the professional setup the Centre of Excellence offers a unique opportunity for the top level players to practice on court against top level opponents despite of the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

- During the normal season it is difficult to find long training blocks due to a busy tournament schedule. If used wisely the COVID-19 situation has provided a golden opportunity for the players to have long and good training, which they could benefit from not just this year but also in the years to come, Senior Manager at Badminton Europe, Jacob Oehlenschlaeger said.

The current Senior Manager is the former national coach of Germany, and he points out that these training blocks are crucial for the players, if they want to develop.

- Playing tournaments is good but it is at the practice hall you build up everything. Stars are not made without training, Oehlenschlaeger stated.

Are you a professional player and do you want to join the practice at the Centre of Excellence?

Contact:
Development & High Performance Senior Manager: Jacob Oehlenschlaeger, jacob.oehlenschlaeger@badmintoneurope.com