The Badminton Podcast

Meet Benny Luo - an inductee of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Media. 

This is part TWO of a two-part series with Leon Jake Lim, an entrepreneur who runs his own badminton academy in Malaysia.

He’s also an investor/fund manager and freelance analyst for a Finance Youtube channel called FIRL (Finance in Real Life) which has 18,200 subscribers at the time of recording. He has also studied philosophy, politics and economics at University of London.

You don't want to miss this one!

This is part one of a two-part series with Leon Jake Lim, an entrepreneur who runs his own badminton academy in Malaysia.

He’s also an investor/fund manager and freelance analyst for a Finance Youtube channel called FIRL (Finance in Real Life) which has 18,200 subscribers at the time of recording. He has also studied philosophy, politics and economics at University of London.

You don't want to miss this one!

Joining us today is Aaron and Gladis Hor from AG Badminton. We talk about the inception of AG badminton, and how their passion to grow the badminton community has resulted in having to make a decision to prioritise their academy ahead of their 'normal' jobs.

This one's a bit different.

Co-founder, Jeff Tho, is a dentist and business coach/consultant outside of his roles in Volant & The Badminton Podcast. He discusses the lessons learnt from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and how it can be adapted to business. There are MANY overlaps between sports performance and business performance!

--

Our guests are Joel Tan, founder of More Than a Swing (MTAS), a Singapore-based badminton academy and Ian Ling – founder of Kurin Organics, an e-commerce startup which manufactures soaps and detergents out of Brisbane, Australia.

Together, we talk about what types of badminton players there are, and why they tend to do what they do. Don't miss this one!

We welcome Nyl Yakura onto this episode of The Badminton Podcast. 

He's Canada’s number 1 MD player with 5 National Championships and  4 pan American Championships under his belt. He’s also an Olympian, having competed at the Tokyo 2020 Games and also a two-time Commonwealth Games athlete.

Tune in to hear how you can dominate in the back court for your doubles matches!

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

In this podcast, Gronya and Justine discuss the magic behind communication to your coach and partners.

Rubin Jille, the number 1 MD player from the Netherlands is our guest on this episode.

Gronya Somerville and Jeff are your co-hosts.

Welcome Mark Caljouw onto a live podcast! He's the number 1 Dutch MS player with a current WR of 28 in the world, with a career high of 23.

He has had many international victories, including reaching the quarter finals in 2021 World Championships, round of 16 in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and was a semifinalist of the 2021 All England Championships.

Stuart Brehaut and Jeff are your co-hosts for this one!

We speak live, to Selena Piek, the number 1 Dutch Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles player.

She has had a World Ranking high of 7 in the world in WD and is currently ranked 21 in the world in mixed doubles with Robin Tabeling. 

Gronya and Jeff are your co-hosts in this one!

A special welcome to Martin Del Valle, a former Peruvian badminton player who was 10x National Champion, qualified for 4 x World Championships and is bridging badminton with video games!  

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

In this podcast, Gronya and Justine give you a recap on our recent tournaments - Oceania Championships and Thomas & Uber Cup.

We have, the legend himself, Peter Gade on this episode of the podcast!

In this episode, he dig into his badminton journey and how he was able to achieve what he achieved. We also talk about his passion for badminton and how the Peter Gade Academy sets out to develop world-class singles players. 

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

In this podcast, Gronya and Justine discuss the importance of taking breaks from training to maintain optimal performance

Welcome Ygor Coelho from Brazil - a Men's Singles player with highest world ranking of 30. He was the 2019 Pan Am Games champion and competed at 2 Olympic Games - Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and has his sights on Paris 2024.

In this episode, he talks about his journey and how his upbringing has helped shape his outlook in badminton and life.

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

In this episode, Gronya and Justine discuss how they train through their fair share of  injuries and make the most of the situation they have had to face.

Welcome Henri Vervoort! I was lucky enough to record this episode in-person at the Dutch National Training Centre in Papendal.  He's a professional coach since 2006 having coached in Denmark, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Italy. He has the highest European coaching degree, is a BWF 2 tutor, shuttle time expert and a part of the Badminton Europe pool of experts for giving coaching education.

He is the current head singles coach for the Netherlands.

In this episode, he talks about many things, including his knowledge in propaganda and how important it is to know what type of players you're coaching. Don't miss this one!

--

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

In this episode, Gronya and Justine talk about how they find the areas they need to develop to improve their badminton and how they make a plan around it.

Plot Twist!

Re-introducing Justine Villegas from episode 91 and Gronya Somerville from episodes 12, 33 and 62!

They're going to be joining The Badminton Podcast by producing a new featured segment of the podcast: Badminton Lights Out (aka BLO). So you'll be hearing a bit of a different episode structure, new voices, new perspectives and new topics! 

Get excited, because they're going to shine the light on things that aren't commonly known in the badminton community.

Let us know what you'd like to hear!

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Meet Kari Gunnarsson, a former professional MS player from Iceland, who grew up in Denmark. He's building a startup called Clutch that is developing a training app for badminton players using Artificial Intelligence, with the mission to make badminton coaching accessible to any player in the world.

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

In this episode Gronya and Justine explain in a bit more detail what Olympic qualification looks like in terms of the rules and what tournaments players need to play.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

We welcome Daniel Fan back onto the podcast - from episode 38. A lot has changed in his transition from a professional player to a full-time coach. He has been doing great things with head coach Nick Kidd, and we talk all about it on this episode.

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

Gronya and Justine bring you a bonus episode where they chat about some of the most absurd and funny things that has happened to them on a badminton court.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Many of you will know Jasmine Wong, or should we say Jasmine Trophy Hunter!

On this episode, we talk about her badminton journey and why she started playing badminton seriously again after giving it up. She also talks about her vision for badminton, especially for girls/women, and how her brand is helping to bring more female players to the sport.

THANK YOU FOR 2021!

WE LOVE YOU ALL!

Jeff & Henry

--

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

Justine and Gronya interview Jeff Tho (TBP host) to better understand how he balanced his high-achieving academics while playing badminton and continues to juggle multiple jobs now.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Meet Stuart Brehaut - former Olympian, 3 x Commonwealth Games Athlete and current Australian National Head Coach, who is also a superstar at golf!

In this episode, we recap on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games from an Australian perspective, and chat about the future of independent badminton players, and where Stuart thinks we're heading as a sport.

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas. 

Justine and Gronya talk about Gronya’s Europe stint on how she tackles tournaments, trainings and her mental health for the months she’s been away from home. 

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran 

--

Our guest is 22 year old, former professional badminton player Fee Teng Liew from England who is a current Sport and Exercise Psychology student at Loughborough (Luff brah) University.

During her professional badminton days, she spent 2 years living in Malaysia and Indonesia to train, compete, and eat lots of good food! It also wasn’t long ago that she won the English National Badminton Championships with mixed doubles partner, Max Flynn in 2020.

Fee has a big passion for mental well-being and believes that having a healthy mental state and an understanding of what is going on in our minds is so crucial to succeeding in every other part of our personal and professional lives too.

She is currently doing a research project on mental health in elite badminton players and how badminton differs...so on today’s episode we not only explore her story but dive deeper in this topic.

Follow Fee at: 

Her blog: http://www.feetengliew.com/

Instagram: @mindfullyfee / @feetengliew - Contact her to be a part of the research if you have a BWF world ranking!

--

NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE!

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

Justine and Gronya discuss the struggles of financially supporting your badminton career and a few ways you can earn money and better yourself while achieving your athletic dreams.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Our guest is 23 year-old Elias Bracké from Belgium. He has had multiple 3rd place finishes at Future series, a final at an international series and has been able to beat several top 100 players in his career so far.

Hear his badminton story and what he hopes to achieve in bringing badminton into prime-time for Belgium. 

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

In this episode, Justine and Gronya interview Abhinav Manota and talk about his story and how to improve as a player with limited sparring partners.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

We talk to Pinakin Godse - a former professional badminton player and now a physiotherapist with a Masters in Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapy. 

Tune in to hear about a physio's view on badminton injuries and how to best take care of your body.

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

Justine and Gronya discuss what they wish they knew when they were starting badminton all those years ago, knowing what they know now.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Former Canadian badminton player, Brittney Tam is our guest on this episode. She has competed for Canada at the Commonwealth Games, Pan Am Championships and World Championships.

She has a very interesting story - starting badminton when she was 5, and her transition out of the sport to discover new passions.

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

Justine and Gronya interview their National Team coaches, Stuart Brehaut (AUS) and Rikke Olsen-Siegemund (NZL) who are both ex-players about what has changed from when they played 10+ years ago compared to now. They discuss differences in tournaments, athletes and training programs.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Meet best friends, Callum Hemming and Steven Stallwood. They're an English MD pair that started playing together when they were 9 years old... and now they're paired up to play against the world at the 2021 Sudirman Cup and Thomas Cup Finals.

Hear the pros and cons about playing with your best mate!

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

With many of us still abiding by COIVD restrictions, Gronya and Justine discuss how to train during lockdowns so that you can stay fit and ready to get back onto court when things open up again!

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Alex Dunn, from Scotland, has a current WR of 37 for Men's Doubles with Adam Hall, and has won several international titles at the Scottish Open, Austrian Open and Welsh Open.

In this episode, we talk about badminton (of course) but things that he enjoys outside of badminton including his interest in Sports Sciences.

Find him on Instagram and Twitter: @Alexdunn_13

--

The Badminton Podcast presents: Badminton Lights Out (BLO) - hosted by Gronya Somerville and Justine Villegas.

They discuss the different phases of training you can incorporate leading up to a competition and what each of those look like in terms of on-court and gym training.

Intro created by Sam Fran - https://linktr.ee/SamFran

--

Welcome, Fabio Caponio, the number one MS playerr in Italy with a WR of 154.

Hear the sacrifices that he has made on his journey, where he had to move 1000km away from his family at 12 years of age to pursue his badminton career.

THIS IS THE 100TH EPISODE OF THE BADMINTON PODCAST!!!

On this episode, we chat to mixed doubles specialist, Robin Tabeling from the Netherlands. He's ranked 17 in the world and has just competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

This recording was done before the Games themselves, so hear about his preparation and thoughts going into the Games.

On this episode, we welcome 19-year-old Talia Ng from Canada as our guest. She’s a student-athlete who is completing an undergraduate degree and trains for badminton competitively. Most recently, she won a bronze medal at the Senior Pan Am Championships in Women's Singles.

In this episode, she talks about her life and her journey in badminton, academics and all of the other ventures that's she's involved in - including yummy macaroons! 

Here's episode 11 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF. It's the last show of the Games!

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 10 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 9 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 8 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 7 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 6 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 5 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 4 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 3 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Here's episode 2 of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls.

Please enjoy this first episode of The Tokyo 2020 Show, presented by The Badminton Podcast and BWF.  

Be sure to tune in to the show daily where'll share the latest news, results, updates, opinions, predictions and polls. 

In this episode we talk about: 

BIG NEWS! Tune in to find out what we'll be up to in the next few weeks!

Back in Episode 21 (1st June 2020), we released our medal predictions for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 13 months on, we do the same as the players start arriving in Tokyo for the postponed Olympic Games caused by COVID. Hear how our predictions and thoughts have changed!

But not just that - there has been some debate as to whether or not the Games should go ahead despite a worldwide pandemic happening. We talk to Hetvi Shah about it as she's done some research on both sides. 

Should the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games still be held? 

--

Ian Bridge is originally from the UK, was previously a detective inspector and is the current National para-badminton coach for Australia. In this role, he has been to 3 x world championships and will be heading to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, being held in 2021.

Hear how he has learnt about coaching para athletes and the challenges that he's overcome to get the best out of himself, and his athletes.

Julien Carraggi, a 21 year old MS player from Belgium is our featured guest on this episode. He's been as high as 175 in the world in Men's Singles and he talks about the importance of a 'self-improvement mindset' as he develops himself as a badminton player. 

Given the journey he has been on so far, this episode shares his experiences from when he was younger and how badminton also allows him to fulfil his fascination in arts and the outdoors.

Introducing you to Al Liao (aka Chao-Hsiang Liao) - a former Taiwan national player, entrepreneur, author, business and badminton coach, podcaster and speaker and screenwriter!

We talk all things about his badminton journey that has lead him to the above achievements as he goes about smashing all of his goals!

This is part 2 of a 2 part episode so make sure you tune into part 1 if you haven't already!

Here's how you can follow Al:

Introducing you to Al Liao (aka Chao-Hsiang Liao) - a former Taiwan national player, entrepreneur, author, business and badminton coach, podcaster and speaker and screenwriter! 

We talk all things about his badminton journey that has lead him to the above achievements as he goes about smashing all of his goals! 

This is part 1 of a 2 part episode so make sure you tune into part 2 too! 

Here's how you can follow Al: 

We had a chat to Margin Hargrave on his podcast called Talk Badminton, and we wanted to share it with all of you! We actually haven't spoken ourselves for a while as we are always interviewing other people - so it was nice to express how we are feeling :)

Enjoy!

And do make sure you check our Martin's podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkBadminton

--

Say hello to Justine Villegas from New Zealand! She is a national player who has played for her country at the Oceania Team Events and Sudirman Cup in Nanjing in 2019.

She has a very interesting story where she's been able to turn some 'unfortunate' events into things that have made her strong, better and a more rounded person. 

Check her out on Instagram: @villegasjustine

--

Martijn van Dooremalen. If you haven't heard of him, you're in for a treat! He has a rich history in badminton, and a huge impact on badminton in the Netherlands, Europe and the world.

A small snippet of his endless list of achievements include: being the coach of many teams including the Dutch National team for 24 years which included 55 medals at the European Championships, World Championships, Thomas & Uber Cup and Olympic Games. Some of these highlights are Mia Audina’s silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Uber Cup silver medal in 2006 and European champion titles.  

Note: This is part 2 of the episode so make sure to check out part 1 (episode 89) so you don't miss out on some of Martijn's unique insights and incredible knowledge about the sport and life.

--

Martijn van Dooremalen. If you haven't heard of him, you're in for a treat! He has a rich history in badminton, and a huge impact on badminton in the Netherlands, Europe and the world.

A small snippet of his endless list of achievements include: being the coach of many teams including the Dutch National team for 24 years which included 55 medals at the European Championships, World Championships, Thomas & Uber Cup and Olympic Games. Some of these highlights are Mia Audina’s silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Uber Cup silver medal in 2006 and European champion titles.

Note: This is part 1 of the episode so please tune in to episode 90 for part 2 as Martijn continues to share his unique insights and incredible knowledge about the sport and life. 

--

Welcome Mads Christophersen from Denmark onto the podcast. He's a a professional Men’s Singles badminton player, ranked #83 in the world and ranked #6 in Denmark. 

We talk about his badminton story and how he lives by a timeless principle that can take your life to a whole new level, and is achievable by everyone: being 1% better each day.

Ask him your questions by connecting with him on Instagram: @madsdrostchristophersen

You can support him on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/basicbadminton 

--

Have you heard of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands before? Well, now you have!

We're delighted to talk to:

Contact them on Facebook: @https://www.facebook.com/nmba670/

-

YES! We welcome back the Danish star, Hans-Kristian (aka HK) Vittinghus onto the podcast!

We talk his 2021 tournaments, including his runners up at the Toyota Thailand Open, and about the controversial proposal to change the scoring laws of badminton!

Don't miss this - ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVE INDOMIE! :)

Want to hear our other episode with HK? Here it is: https://anchor.fm/thebadmintonpodcast/episodes/17--Hans-Kristian-Vittinghus-DEN---balancing-professional-badminton-with-life-e9biaj

On this episode, we’re really excited to introduce you to Thomas Laybourn - the former 2009 World Champion in Mixed Doubles with Kamilla Rytter Juhl.

Some of his other achievements are: 2 x European Champion, 2 x Danish Champion, Winner of The Super Series Finals & World Tour Finals and 2 x runner up in All England.

Since finishing up his professional badminton career, he has been involved in many different entrepreneur startups/projects, including Badminton Famly.

We have teacher, consultant, coach and entrepreneur Mads Selmer from Denmark as our guest on this episode. We talk about how he started out trying to be a professional player but his perspective shifted to wanting to inspire and help others to be the best they can. 

He moved on to teaching and coaching - where now his passion and knowledge led to him create an online badminton portal called Shuttle Life - built on 3 pillars of coaching. 

Check out his website: www.badminlink.com 

Connect with him on IG: @mads.selmer 

Watch his video "How to smash from beginner to advanced" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGY-gQ_3O8Y 

--

We're hearing from Alistair Casey, former professional badminton player for Scotland who qualified for 5 consecutive World Championships 2007 through 2013 in Men’s Singles. He has won 5 senior international tournaments in Men’s Singles and 1 in Men’s Doubles. He competed in the main draw of the Super Series tour 2008 through 2011.

Alistair eventually became the personal coach for Iris Wang at the end of 2014 and coached her court-side at the 2016 Rio Olympics Games.

He shares a very interesting story about how he overcame so obstacles and rejections throughout his career, driven by an unrelentless belief that not playing badminton wasn't an option. 

Ask him your questions via email: alistair.casey@usabadminton.org

--

Welcome Tobias Wadenka onto the podcast, a former professional badminton player from Germany who is a coach at an elite sports school and runs a YouTube channel, online badminton course and podcast!

We talk about his badminton story and how he didn't take such a 'conventional' badminton pathway. Instead, he was been able to find is own way throughout his career and to where he is now.

Ask him your questions by connecting with him on Instagram: @tobiaswadenka

His YouTube channel is awesome too - check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfRMnJ4f02bKXts3OE8eOEw

--

We've got another former world champion on the podcast today. And his name is Howard Bach from the United States of America.

Along with his world title in 2005 with Tony Gunawan, he has competed at 2 x Olympic Games in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and has won 18 USA national titles. 

Howard now finds himself giving back to the sport that has given him so much - with a very clear message that he's projecting to badminton in the USA: it's SO MUCH BIGGER than just you and me.

Ask him your questions by connecting with him on Instagram: @howardbachbadminton

--

Welcome, Anna Mikhalkova from Ukraine! She's been representing Ukraine since she was a junior and currently trains at the Centre of Excellence in Denmark.

Anna's story is a very interesting one, indeed. And when you hear it, you'll be able to see where she gets her fighting spirit from - which is something that's she's been able to call upon when times were the toughest.

Connect with her on Instagram: @vaaimikhalko

--

How do you improve strength & power in a way that specifically improves your badminton performance?

We're talking to Sean Maloney on this episode, who will answer this question! He has worked with GB Badminton and the English Institute of Sport.

He is a Strength and Conditioning coach with a PhD in Biomechanics, and lecturer.

Ask him your questions by emailing him: sean@maloneyperformance.com

OR connect with him on Instagram: @badminton.fit

--

Have you heard of the YouTube channel 'Badminton Insight' or visited the website www.badminton-insight.com ?

If you have, then you probably already know Greg Mairs and Jenny Moore - Guinness World Record Holders and professional badminton players from England who have had a World Ranking high of 38. They are also the creators of Badminton Insight!

In this episode, we explore how they've developed as athletes in both their sports, academics and life, with a very special mention to Andy Wood, who has helped them to think about things very differently. We also hear why they started Badminton Insight and the goal behind it all.

Be sure to have a listen!

Check out their YouTube Channel: Badminton Insight

Website here: www.badminton-insight.com

OR connect with them on Instagram: @badminton.insight

--

Marcus Ellis: current number 22 in the world for Men’s Doubles and 9 in the world for Mixed Doubles. An Olympic bronze medallist in Men’s Doubles, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in mixed doubles and European Champion in both events.

In this episode, we're talking to Marcus while he is in Bangkok for the Yonex Thailand Open, Toyota Thailand Open and BWF World Series in 2 weeks of isolation. Marcus takes us on his badminton journey and shares with us how it was so important for him to be accountable for everything that happened to him - whether it be good or bad.

He also reveals how much hair product Chris Langridge uses each day! 

Check him out and follow him on Instagram: @marcusellis89 and on Twitter: @ellis_marcus111

--

Welcome Robin Middleton. Englishman turned Australian!

He’s a former professional badminton player who got to as high as world number 13 in Mixed Doubles and 17 for Men’s doubles, while he was playing for England.

He then went to represent Australia at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2016 Olympic Games.

In this episode, we talk about the pressures that face badminton players (especially in England), and the differences that he noticed not only in the training, but also in the culture of English vs Australian badminton.

Ask him all your questions by emailing him: robmiddleton85@yahoo.com.au

OR connect with him on Facebook: @Robin J Middleton

--

Don Hearn, an editor from Badzine, is the guest on the podcast this week! If you haven’t heard of Badzine before, they inform fans and readers about what is going on in our sport through articles, news and features. After moving from Canada to South Korea in 1995, he was asked to be an editor by the founder of Badzine and Solibad - Raphael Sachetat. 

Don shares his thoughts about badminton as a whole and how as a sport, we are playing 'catch up' in comparison to other mainstream sports.

--

We're excited to bring you this episode with Mads Conrad-Petersen from Denmark. Former world number 4 in Men's Doubles with Mads Pieler Kolding, European Champion and finalist in 4 Super Series. 

A clip of his match went viral after some acrobatic, trick-shot badminton that was picked up by Ozzy Man Reviews. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out here: https://twitter.com/ozzymanreviews/status/819131515011354624?lang=en

In this episode, we talk about his amazing career and how badminton can really form such a big part of one's life that it ultimately becomes their identity. 

Check him out and follow him on Instagram: @madsconrad1

--

Lauren Smith is our guest on this episode of The Badminton Podcast. She needs no formal introduction as she is very well known all over the world. 

She is an 2016 Olympian, was the European Champion in 2019, and at time of recording, is ranked number 9 in the world in mixed doubles. She has also won 5 x Commonwealth Games Medals - 3 silver and 2 bronze, and has 9 English National Titles to her name.

In this episode, we talk about how the resilience she showed from a very young age has pushed her to be the badminton player she is today. She also reveals some secrets on how to be a better doubles front court player - so make sure you tune in!

You can check out what crazy and interesting things she is up to by following her on Instagram: @laurensmith

--

Meet Global Superstar, Aylex Lin (known as Aylex TV). He has an extremely diverse and multi-faceted list of achievements!

From a badminton point of view, he's a former provincial champion and national third badminton athlete in Canada. And outside of badminton he's in the entertainment industry (he's an emcee, opera singer, musician & performer) and runs businesses in real estate, e-commerce and social media.

In this episode, you'll hear how he exudes a confidence that has been instrumental in his life so far, and how there's so much more to come. You'll also hear about an anime character who helped inspire this mindset from a very early age. You don't want to miss this one!

You can find him on his Instagram, Tiktok or YouTube: @aylextv 

--

We're excited to be talking to Iris Wang - a 26 year old Women's Singles player from the USA who competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games  and has had a world ranking of number 30.

In this episode, we talk about a dilemma that a lot of young badminton players face - the decision whether to keep playing badminton professionally or move into academics or work. Iris has done both - so she has lots of insights and thoughts that could help you with your decision.

You should also follow her journey on Facebook: @IrisWangTeamUSA

--

We're speaking to Christopher Trenholme on this episode - who is a member of the senior management team at the Badminton World Federation (BWF), where he leads a team of six officers and managers responsible for Badminton/Para Badminton tournaments, rankings, player management, sanctioning and so much more! 

In this episode, Chris talks about how important the enjoyment of the process is and gives us insights into the event management space for badminton and how the broader skills and experiences you gain throughout life can help you succeed in this area and a sports career. 

Find him on his Instagram: @thevikingdiaries 

--

We're speaking to Peter Briggs on this episode - former English national champion who has had a world ranking of 34 in Men's Doubles. One of his greatest victories was over the former world number 1 Malaysian pair: Tan Boon Heong and Koo Kien Keat.

In this episode, Peter talks about how important it is to make choices that make the most sense for you - not someone else. And in doing so, sometimes it means taking steps that you thought may not have been possible. 

Find him on at the Mandarin Badminton Club in Markham, Toronto (Canada) IN PERSON!

Or on his Instagram: @peterbriggsofficial 

And on his website: www.briggsybadminton.com

--

Meet Samuel Ricketts - a Jamacian Men's Singles player (formerly Men's Doubles) who is number 166 in the world. He's also graduated from  Loughborough University in the United Kingdom with a Bachelors of Physics with Sports Science and has musical talents too, playing 2 different instruments. 

We really enjoyed our chat to Samuel and felt inspired by his ability to see things from such a unique and broad perspective - including how uses Grace to help guide him through his life. 

If you're looking for some perspective, this episode is really going to get you grounded and thinking right again!

He's happy for you to contact him too, if you want to have a chat. Find him on Instagram: @sammirick

--

Have you wondered what Ben Beckman has been up to since our chat with him on episode 30 of the podcast?

Or do you want to know what it's like to be an influencer - more specifically a BADMINTON INFLUENCER?

Tune into this episode to hear about Ben's journey since the conclusion of Swift Badminton and see how well he's doing.

You can tune into his videos on the BWF's Instagram or Facebook page: @bwf.official

And you can follow Ben on his Instagram: @ben_beckman_bwf

--

Jojo Jee, a long time listener and fan of @thebadmintonpodcast joins us on today's episode!

In the episode, we refer to our episode with Loh Kean Yew so if you'd like to listen to this one, here's the link: https://anchor.fm/thebadmintonpodcast/episodes/39--Loh-Kean-Yew-SIN---being-hungry-changes-everything-ecv8ia

We talk to Jojo about her life as a Malaysian state badminton player and what it was like when she was just 9 years old and was selected into her first state team. We discuss the badminton scene in Malaysia, how talent is identified and let you in on her secret performance food: eggs, bananas and chocolate!

Find her on Instagram: @jojoisdeadinside_ 

OR

To get coached by her in KL, find the club Duo Sparks on Instagram: @duosparks or on their website: www.duosparks.com.my

--

We welcome Chequeda (AKA Queda) De Boulet, the first Trinidadian on The Badminton Podcast!

Although only 19 years of age, she has so much knowledge and wisdom. We both came out inspired to be better and to continue 'chipping away' at our goals. It's not about overnight success but persistence to the process and journey.

We can't wait to follow her career and life as she continues to grow and develop as both a badminton player and an amazing human being!

Find her on Instagram: @c_deboulet

And on Facebook: Chequeda De Boulet

--

We welcome Felix Burestedt back onto the podcast - the current world number 57 in Men's Singles, and top ranked player from Sweden.

Felix shares his story and how he badminton has brought him across Sweden and into Denmark & Germany - a journey which he's pursuing in order to allow him to reach his full potential. 

There are heaps of key takeaways and one that really stands out - how to analyse your matches in 3 words/steps. It's GOLD and you don't want to miss it!

Find him and follow his journey on Instagram: @felixburestedt

--

Nathan Tang is an Australian MS player who will be representing Australia at the 2021 Thomas Cup Finals, which was originally being help in October 2020 - but was postponed due to COVID-19.

His career started very late, and in this episode, he discussed his journey and his hope is to inspire the younger generations of players to KEEP AT IT - because if you do, you may find that opportunities may open up for you that you may not have thought possible.

Connect with Nathan on Instagram: @liteandtangy

--

Is Gronya Somerville single? 

Listen in to find out!

You'll also hear what Gronya Somerville has been up to during the COVID lockdowns. 

Based in Melbourne, Australia, she has been in one of the longest and most strict lockdowns in the world. And she's been making full use of the time with some new projects she has been working on!

There's lots of catching up to do!

If you don't already follow her, you should on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube: @gronyasomerville

To join one of her online badminton-specific workouts, visit: https://www.gronyasomerville.com.au/

--

Meet Derrick Ng, the Head Coach at Bellevue Badminton Club and a former professional player. His achievements include a world ranking of number 25, 11 Canadian National Titles, 4 Pan America Titles and 39 International Medals.

Derrick speaks about how he went through a lot of financial hardship and still managed to live his badminton dream. He also speaks about the importance to have an open mind and to experiment in order for you to get the best out of yourself. 

Heaps of golden nuggets of knowledge in this one!

Get into contact with him by emailing him: derrick@bellevuebadmiton.com,  follow up on Instagram: @derrickng21 OR visit his website: http://derrickng.com

--

BADMINTON IS BACK!

How good was it to watch live badminton again? We absolutely loved it and missed it so much!

We talk to Felix Burestedt about his experiences at the Denmark Open 2020, and ask him questions that we all have about the 'new normal' of badminton tournaments amidst COVID-19.

Make sure you share this episode with everyone who is excited as us that badminton is back!

--

Our guest on this episode, David Turner, is a man of many talents. And you'll hear those as your listen to this one!

On the badminton scene, David is a former international BWF umpire, lines judge and is a member of the BWF Assessment Panel. In this episode, he talks about the pathway to being a world-class badminton offical, whether that be an umpire, lines judge or referee.

We really do think that our officials in badminton don't get recognised for the work that they do - and hope that this episode shows the appreciation that the world has for these amazing people. 

--