Today the Estonian Badminton Federation celebrates its 60th anniversary. On this occasion, Badminton Europe spoke to the President of the federation, Tiit Vapper, who dove into the history and recent achievements of Badminton Estonia, and what has led to the growth of badminton within Estonia.
“Badminton has in recent years really gained momentum in Estonia. The number of badminton players has been constantly growing and we have had several new clubs joining the federation.”
On the question of how Badminton Europe’s development project has played a role in the development of badminton in Estonia Vapper had the following to say:
“Badminton Europe’s development projects like Shuttle Time and coach education have definitely contributed to this success.
“It is our pleasure that on the same year that we are celebrating our 60th anniversary we can welcome young players from all over Europe in Estonia who are coming to RSL BEC Summer School. The Summer School will be held in recently opened modern Lenne Badminton Center that has 16 courts available for the participants.”
The development and momentum of Badminton in Estonia has already started bearing fruit, and the results are clear to see when looking at recent results from the European circuit:
“A wonderful gift to Estonian badminton has also been the first major events medals won by our players. We are proud that players from a country with 1,3 million people have stood on the podium at European Games and European Junior Championships and that Estonian players have been represented at last four Olympic Games.”
With the present rise and success of badminton in Estonia, the future looks bright for the new talented badminton athletes of the country. And as Vapper emphasizes the federation achieved that by laying the groundwork for many decades. A ground work which has
"(...) Been a great motivation for our young and upcoming players.”
At Badminton Europe, we would like to congratulate Badminton Estonia on their growth, momentum, and impressive results that comes as a result of a dedicated federation whose hard work has definitely paid off.