The international badminton tournament continues this Sunday, July 23 at the Champ Fleuri gymnasium, in Saint-Denis. After the singles yesterday, it’s time for the mixed doubles today. For the athletes from Reunion, it is an opportunity to refine their preparation before the Indian Ocean Island Games in a month.
The Dionysian capital vibrates to the rhythm of sport this weekend. In addition to the Trail des K’Frines at La Redoute, the town also hosts the 8th season of the international badmindton tournament. A competition that started yesterday and continues this Sunday, July 23 at the Champ Fleuri gymnasium.
On Saturday, Mathilde Lepetit won against Ly-Hoa Chai, in series 1 Single Departmental (SD). In series 2, it was Aurian Peyrot des Gachons who won against Chloé Santos, while for the men, Nicolas Hoareau, Nicolas Chan-Fook and Tarik Asserpe reached the first place on the podium respectively in series SH1, SH2, SH3.
This Sunday, place for the Mixed Double matches. For the players of the Reunion badminton selection, this “TIB”, the biggest competition organized in Reunion, remains a golden opportunity to confront the best in the discipline since players from the top 15 French players participate in the tournament.
“The level of the top France is really very high and it is very difficult for us to confront them, as we are not used to having players of this level here, but it is good preparation for us before the Island Games which are coming up.“, confides Loïc Nanicaoudin, Reunion specialist in men’s doubles, who is part of the Reunion selection.
One month before the Island Games, this tournament is indeed welcome, as Estelle Leperlier, semi-finalist in women’s doubles and mixed at the Reunion championship, points out. “Here, in Reunion, we are quite remote, we play more or less always against the same players, and there to be able to confront players from other countries, it allows us to discover other types of games and to develop our adaptability even more.“.
The champion expects intense matches during the Games: “There is a very good level, it will not be easy. I think it will be won in three sets as we get closer to the final, so yes, it announces very good matches in perspective and we hope to get as far as possible in the competition“.
And then after this International Badminton Tournament, the players will this time have the opportunity to face the world’s top 30 during the “2nd Open” from July 26 to 30. A perfect timing which is not the result of chance, as explained by Christophe Chenu, the president of the Reunion Island Badminton League.
“When we wanted to place these competitions in the calendar, we thought in particular of the Games of the Islands, which makes two great competitions for the preparationshe points out. It’s important that our players practice together and against top level players. With the French top 15 and the world’s top 30, they have something to sharpen their knives for the Island Games!“
In the end, nearly 50 nations are represented in all of these competitions. If these events attract many nationalities, it is also because it is the “points hunt” period for qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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