By: Lubaba Mahmud, Staff Writer
Are you looking for a recreational sport to help you de-stress? Perhaps an activity that you don’t have to go out into the rain to play? If so, you might consider the SFU Badminton Club. Whether you’re a casual or competitive player, or somewhere in between, the SFU Badminton Club invites everyone to come together to enjoy the sport in a casual and social atmosphere.
“Badminton club is where I met some unexpected but close friends,” Marco, a current member, said when asked about his time with the group. The club’s executive, currently comprised by President Thanh and Vice-President Joey, runs the club. It has about 50 active members, and, as of Fall 2019, the club boasts 15 new members — eight of which are first year students.
For readers unfamiliar with badminton, it is a court sport, similar to tennis, but usually played indoors. In badminton, players use racquets to hit a shuttlecock over the net — with the goal being for the shuttlecock to fall in the designated court areas on the opponent’s side. A rally occurs if the opponent can return the shuttlecock after it is served. To earn a point, a player has to win a rally, which is achieved when the opponent hits the shuttlecock out of bounds or into the net. A match typically consists of three sets, and a player or pair needs to win 21 points to win a single set.
The SFU Badminton Club competes against other universities in a variety of ways. Notable amongst this list is the annual UBC x SFU Tournament, where badminton club members from both institutions compete. The most recent tournament was held in 2019, with UBC taking home the trophy. The next UBC x SFU Tournament is going to be hosted by UBC in February 2020.
They also have other recreational tournaments against other schools coming up, such as a tournament against Trinity Western, hosted by the SFU Badminton Club on November 8. Since the majority of members are students and, due to scheduling, prefer playing in standard, weekly drop-in times, local tournaments and ice breakers are only hosted occasionally.
The club’s usual practices and weekly drop-in events are in the East Gym from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays. There is a semesterly fee of $15 to join the club — $5 of which is allocated to SFU Recreation, while the remaining $10 goes directly to the club itself and is allocated to tournaments, ice breakers, and coaching. The deadline to officially join the SFU Badminton Club for the Fall 2019 semester has passed, but students may come to drop-in times for a small fee of $3 per session. The club usually provides shuttlecocks, and they do have a few spare racquets, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own racquet.
There are members of all skill levels in the club and, though players typically choose to partner with other players close to their skill level, competitive and casual players have also been seen to enjoy a match together. While there is currently no coach for the club, Thanh has mentioned that they might be hiring a coach for the competitive team in the near future.
“The SFU Badminton Club is a place where people of all skill levels come to learn and play the sport. But, most importantly, it’s about meeting new people in the SFU community,” Than said when asked about the purpose of the club.
If you’re interested in joining, or even just dropping in, contact the SFU Badminton Club through their Facebook page, or email them at badminton@sfu.ca for more info.
