Badminton Revived in Burundi

July 2, 2021

As part of its development strategy, Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) recently worked with the Fédération Burundaise de Badminton (FBB) in reactive badminton activities using the BWF Shuttle Time Schools Programme.

A series of Shuttle Time Courses and a training camp were held to revive and relaunch badminton in Burundi from 29 April–7 May 2021. The first activity was the Tutors Course, followed by the Teachers Course and training camp in Bujumbura. The three activities were delivered by BCA Regional Development Officer, Bernadin Bokpe.

Ten Shuttle Time Tutors were trained and assessed during the Teachers Course with 23 new Shuttle Time Teachers educated. The participants of the Shuttle Time Tutors and Teachers Courses came from different regions and schools in Burundi.

During the training camp, 18 players aged between 18 to 24 (boys and girls) and 10 university students participated and had the opportunity to learn badminton. The training camp was organised to give some technical knowledge for players to utilise in the future.

The facilities, provided by BCA and the National Olympic Committee of Burundi, are to ensure the smooth running of the activities. The tutors and teachers were highly motivated – a great boost for Shuttle Time implementation in Burundi.

Burundi is also the 141th country who joined the BWF Shuttle Time family! (map)

The activities of this Shuttle Time training have just sealed the resumption of badminton in Burundi. Over nine uninterrupted days, BCA/BWF Shuttle Time Trainer Mr. Bernadin gave himself without counting the cost, working even beyond the statutory hours, to strengthen the capacities of 10 tutors, 23 sports teachers, 10 sports students and about 20 players. We have just hoisted the anchor of the journey towards our ultimate goal in relation to the implementation of badminton in schools in Burundi – by 2024, to have trained 40 tutors, 100 sports teachers, 10,000 players and to have introduced our sport in at least 100 schools. In addition, the plan is to design 200 AirBadminton courts in these schools in the next four years. An objective that seems ambitious, but for us, achievable and feasible. We would like to take this opportunity to thank BWF, BCA and the Burundi NOC for making this possible. We also thank the Burundian media for the wide coverage. It did not go unnoticed by the Burundian public. – François Ndondo, President of FBB

I would like to express my satisfaction with the training of tutors and teachers. The lessons learned from both trainings will be beneficial in the development of badminton at the grassroots level, especially in schools. Thank you for all the skills and advices you have imparted. – Nicolas Bikorimana, Shuttle Time National Coordinator of Burundi

Our great thanks to BCA and Mr. Bernadin Bokpè for all that you have shared with us. Your efforts and energy spent in explaining over and over again will be enormously useful and have served to give us skills and knowledge that will help us train others. For our part, we will do everything to make this training a foundation for the success of Shuttle Time and badminton in our country. – Don-Christ Darcy Arakaza, Shuttle Time Tutor

My appreciation is mainly a feeling of satisfaction for the participants to see a great trainer like Bernadin that BBF had the chance to welcome! He delivered the planned lesson in no uncertain terms! I cannot find words to thank BWF and BCA for choosing a young and especially pedagogue trainer who teaches with a special methodology, which will without doubt help us teach badminton in our schools! Once again, hats off to BWF, BCA and FBB for this training opportunity. – Gabin Muhabuka, Shuttle Time Teacher (PE Teacher)