Madrid has marked today the official countdown to have all the best players of the continent at the 2022 European Championships that will be taking place 25 to 30 April in the Gallur Sports Centre.
After months of hard work from the Madrid City Council, the Badminton European Confederation (BEC), the Spanish Badminton Federation (FESBA), and the Madrid Badminton Federation (FEMBAD), this Wednesday marks the beginning of the event with an official presentation.
Deputy mayor of Madrid Begoña Villacís, Sports city councillor at the Madrid City Council Sofia Miranda, BEC Vice President Joao Matos, BEC General Secretary Brian Agerbak, FESBA President Andoni Azurmendi, and FEMBAD President Ernesto Baschwitz were all in attendance in the presentation.
An event to be proud of
These championships will be one of the many big events that will be taking place in Madrid this year, with the city being the 2022 World Capital of Sport. It will also be the comeback of Carolina Marin after 11 months away from the court due to a serious injury.
- Carolina Marin is a role model to society and particularly to girls. Having a person like her as an inspirational figure is fundamental, and to have her here in Madrid is a huge privilege. These European Championships will make society get into badminton because talking about the sport and watching it live will encourage kids to play, Villacís stated.
- After the cancellation of the European Championships that were initially going to take place in Finland, it was very easy to resolve the situation thanks to the readiness of the Spanish Badminton Federation and the Madrid City Council, Matos said.
- Organising these championships in such a short amount of time is something to be proud of, and it reflects Madrid’s willingness to be a reference point as a host big events again, Miranda explained.
- I would like to highlight the speed and ease with which we came across to organise these European Chamionships in just a matter of days. I am sure that it will be a success and that this will be a great addition to the sport, Azurmendi added.
The queen is back
After recovering from an injury that left her without playing for eleven months, Carolina Marin’s return to the competition has created huge expectations for the European Championships in Madrid. The excitement of the fans is immense, and the tickets have sold out. The Rio 2016 Olympic champion will be looking to earn her sixth consecutive European title and will be making her debut against Centre of Excellence player Katelina Tomalova from the Czech Republic.
It should be noted that on the 25, 26, and 27, there will be free admission to the event until seating capacity is reached. However, the tickets for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals (to take place on the 28, 29, and 30), are now sold out.
- The most important thing for me is to enjoy and compete again. I don’t want to come back as I was, but better than I was. If anyone had told me eleven months ago that I would be playing at the European Championships in Madrid, I wouldn’t have believed it. Playing the European Championships here in Madrid is a dream come true, Marin stated.