Badminton training classes for children aged seven to nine, and between 10 and 16 are being offered Sport Malta’s # OnTheMove programme at Kirkop and Cottonera sports complexes.

Edmond Abela, coach at Kirkop Sports Complex said: “Badminton training involves a lot of movement and running, and players need to have a good level of fitness. The challenge of the game for a beginner lies mostly in the hand and eye co-ordination to be able to hit the shuttlecock with a racket.”

Melanie Grech, coach for the junior and teens classes, added that the junior classes start by learning simple exercises, such as the basic gripping technique, ways of hitting the shuttlecock across the net and basic rules of the game.

Badminton is the second most played sport in the world after football

A couple of years ago, Sport Malta launched training sessions for adults aged 17 and over which today are gaining popularity. Parents are now able to register and join in the badminton training. “Participants first perform a series of drills with the racket and shuttlecock, and then enjoy a game which they can play as either singles or doubles,” Abela said.

Badminton is the second most played sport in the world after football. East Asian countries dominate the badminton world, with China being the uncontested leader, followed by Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia and India. In Europe, it is widely played in Denmark, Britain, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Russia.

For further information about the programmes run by #OnTheMove, formerly known as Skolasport, visit the website below, call 2203 6000 or e-mail info@sportmalta.org.mt.

www.sportmalta.org.mt