By David Klassen
Badminton enthusiasts are rallying around the idea of one day having a facility dedicated to their sport in Winnipeg.
While the Winnipeg Badminton Club and the Canoe Clue already exist, the Manitoba Badminton Association says those facilities are often used as multi-purpose, thus bumping badminton for an array of other sports of activities.
“On many occasions, you can get cancelled the day of or the day prior to your meeting time, which means you have to notify your group of 10+, 30+ or even 100+ of the cancellation,” said Ryan Giesbrecht, executive director of the MBA. “Cancellations in general leave a hopeful group of individuals utterly disappointed, and thus is the case for many sports teams in Winnipeg. Access and priority can become a critical asset to the health of a sport when it comes to facilities.”
Giesbrecht also says a dedicated facility would make hosting badminton tournaments much easier, especially when needing more than 20 hours of gym space over an entire weekend.
“Take into account that the facility needs warm-up and cool down space, spectator seating and a results area and you’ve got even more difficulty. Having another dedicated facility with the respectable needs of badminton would increase the chances of hosting most exciting events such as national competitions, exhibitions and international competitions.”
A survey to gauge public interest on the idea is being circulated on Facebook.
