As more and more international players arrive to the Centre of Excellence, we talk with Jacob Oehlenschlaeger as to what it is that attracts them to Holbæk.
The Centre of Excellence, located in Holbæk Sportsby in Denmark since 2019, is a high-quality base where European badminton talents can train in modern facilities. Its main goal is to provide Europe’s players with a top-quality training service, but it extends far beyond that.
Many of the players arrive from outside the continent, adding to the international environment of the CoE. Earlier this week, we welcomed Mauritian player Georges Julien Paul, and there have been many other internationals joining the centre and even more to come. Development & High Performance Senior Manager at Badminton Europe, Jacob Oehlenschlaeger, has a good idea of why such players are choosing Badminton Europe’s centre to further develop their skills.
-I think that in terms of the quality we are delivering at the CoE, it is a really good sign that players from across Europe and across the world are finding it interesting to be part of the CoE. It really shows that we are doing a great job. We attract players with our appealing training environment, so that is proof that what we are doing is good and that what we are moving in the right direction.
The CoE is the whole package
As obvious as it sounds, proper training is key to good performance in sports. So, the evident plan is for players to seek professionals and a place that can help them with such an arduous task. Oehlenschlaeger knows the CoE can deliver this for top-level athletes as they have done up until now, with many of them coming back after having temporarily stayed at the centre. So, what is it that encourages players from overseas to take such a long trip to Holbæk?
-I think we have an all-round professional setup. We offer excellent coaches and outstanding facilities, as well as great opportunities on and off court. Players get the whole package. This is not something you can just take for granted, Oehlenschlaeger said.
At the CoE, all players are connected by a common factor — that is, the sport of badminton —, but they all have different backgrounds. For instance, many of them do not have the privilege to have such facilities in their countries. Many of the current CoE players have mentioned this issue.
Yonatan Levit has some great badminton role models from Israel but did not have access to such facilities in his home country, Anna Mikhalkova highlighted how joining the CoE was a significant step for her, and Milan Dratva explained how he got his game structured at the CoE, where he also says he has a good team and a place where they support each other. It is a similar situation for many international players.
-I know that the bigger badminton nations are used to it, but those players who are not coming from one of those countries are not used to having as good conditions as we offer in the CoE. This is all thanks to the hall, the strength facilities, the physiotherapists, and so much more, Oehlenschlaeger stated.
Building a bridge between Europe and other nations
The CoE offers clear advantages to international players, but their presence at the CoE has far-reaching benefits that go much further than that. All athletes, no matter if international or European, can take advantage of the global environment.
-It means a lot to both international and European players in the sense that they will have different playing styles and a more diverse range of opponents. That is always important for high level players, being exposed to different styles of playing. They will be better prepared for the Olympics or tournaments than if they just faced the same type of players. This can only be beneficial for both sides, Oehlenschlaeger explained.
-With international players coming here, it proves that we are making a difference. They get a lot out of it, but so do Europeans. This is also the reason why we are open to international players at the CoE. Of course, we focus mainly on European players. This is a place to help develop European badminton, but if everyone gets something out of it then it is a win-win situation. That is what we are looking to achieve at all times.
Olympics as the main current target
We have reached that time of the year where, like in all sports, it’s all about the Summer Olympics. Everything is almost set to kick off the biggest event in sports, and players are trying to reach their best possible shape and performance through hard training. Some will be doing this same thing at the Centre of Excellence.
-It is just amazing that there are players who have chosen us to prepare for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. They are the biggest events in the badminton world, so it is wonderful that the players opted for training at the CoE, which again proves that we are delivering quality practice and also shows that we have excellent facilities and a strong coaching team too, Oehlenschlaeger said.
So, there are some players who have some hard work to do in the months ahead as they prepare for the grand historic sports event. Everyone at the CoE is focused on providing the best environment possible for them to achieve their goals for the Olympics, just like for the others who will not be flying to Tokyo this year. Still, it is a special moment that everyone will be enjoying and learning from no matter if they have qualified.
-Preparing for something as big as the Olympics is special both for us and the athletes. The fact that they trust us to be their partner in training is amazing. It gives both the players, the coaching team, and everyone at the CoE an extra boost of motivation for training. The ones that will not be going to the Olympics use it as inspiration to reach that level, to be able to qualify for such an event. Those going become role models for the others.