Badminton: Dutch legend helping grow the game

Martijn van Dooremalen at Bethlehem College. Photo/John Borren

Former Badminton Netherlands coach and technical director Martijn van Dooremalen is planning big things for the sport in New Zealand.

Van Dooremalen visited Rotorua and Tauranga this week as part of a whirlwind national tour intended to give him an understanding of the systems he has been tasked with reforming.

The top international coach instructed primary and intermediate age players, Bethlehem College's representative players and Bethlehem's senior club members on Monday as part of an Olympic Solidarity project supported by Badminton New Zealand and the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Van Dooremalen has coached at four Olympics, with his most memorable moment coming at the 2004 Athens Games where one of his players won a silver medal.

"If I can help Badminton New Zealand with coaching systems which will see their top players climb further up the world rankings I'll have achieved what I've wanted," he said.

A winner of 55 medals in European championships, world championships, Thomas and Uber cups and Olympic Games from 1985-2009, Van Dooremalen has the experience and expertise to support the continued growth of badminton in this country.

"In addition to helping with coaching programmes and systems, I'll be able to gauge the strength of administration systems in the various provinces and provide advice on how to improve them."

Badminton New Zealand chief executive Joe Hitchcock praised the partnership with the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

"It is fantastic to have the support of the NZOC. This has enabled us to have someone of Martijn's calibre in New Zealand, meeting and working with our players, coaches and associations to provide expert advice to help us to move forward."

Badminton New Zealand and Van Dooremalen will be visiting more than nine associations during his trip and he will be back in the country in April and September for follow-up visits.

BayTrust CoachForce development manager Delwyn Cooper travels across the Bay assisting schools with introducing the game.

She used Bethlehem College, and the work of volunteer Ray Lewis, as the perfect model for growing the game at the secondary school level.

Four years ago, the game was not played at the school, but thanks to the support from CoachForce and from Lewis in establishing lunchtime and after-school programmes, the school now has more than 40 players, including 10 rep players.