Special Olympics Great Britain has made badminton the third sport to have a tailored development plan produced to help athletes with an intellectual disability thrive in the sport.
Backed by national governing body Badminton England, the Badminton Development Plan outlines a clear vision to strengthen and grow badminton opportunities for Special Olympics GB athletes, from weekly training at grassroots clubs to international competitions.
It aims to build on the recent strategic partnership developed by Special Olympics International with the Badminton World Federation and has been created with input from coaches and Special Olympics GB’s National Sports Advisors.
Some of the lead objectives of the Badminton Development please are:
- Support an accessible pathway from community sessions to national and international competition
- Increase the number of qualified coaches able to deliver inclusive badminton
- Create welcoming, entry-level opportunities such as Disability Festivals
- Develop a national competition structure and consistent competition delivery
- Strengthen collaboration with the Badminton World Federation and Special Olympics Europe Eurasia
- Expand leadership, volunteering and officiating opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities
“We saw 222 athletes play badminton in 24 of our accredited clubs last year, said Chris Smith, Head of Sport for Development at Special Olympics GB. It’s a hugely popular sport within Special Olympics GB, with two national competitions staged this year, so releasing this development plan is a major step forward in ensuring even more athletes can access meaningful and rewarding opportunities.
Through this plan, we are creating a pathway that removes barriers, builds skills and confidence, and celebrates the achievements of our athletes, whether they are stepping onto a badminton court for the first time or progressing to international competition.
“We are grateful to Badminton England for their support and look forward to accelerating inclusive badminton together with partners across the sport.”
Leanne Brown, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Badminton England, said: “The aim of our partnership with Special Olympics GB is to make badminton more inclusive for people with an intellectual or learning disability.
“Initially, our partnership work is focused on coach development; we're looking to increase the number of qualified coaches amongst Special Olympics GB's network through upskilling their athletes and volunteers to become Foundation Badminton Coaches.
“Badminton England are supporting the coaches throughout their coaching journey to be confident in delivering welcoming, accessible and inclusive sessions.
“With inclusion at the heart of our strategy for badminton in England, we want to make the sport as inclusive as possible for everyone. We look forward to working with Special Olympics GB to grow our sport for players with an intellectual or learning disability.”
The plan forms part of Special Olympics GB’s commitment to strengthening provision across its Tier One (most popular participation) sports and follows similar development models in tennis and table tennis. Further development plans are set to be released by other Tier One sports in the coming months.