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Saturday at 9.00 the national badminton championship starts in Frederikshavn. Mayor Birgit S. Hansen welcomes the more than 700 participants in Arena Nord. Photo: Eframe.dk |
The countdown is over. Saturday is the culmination of many hours of volunteer work and help from local forces. During the weekend, almost 2000 badminton matches await in eight halls for the National Championships (LM) in Frederikshavn.
It is not just the approximately 700 youth players who have been looking forward to the long-awaited event.
– We love sports, and then we love having guests. So it is fantastic that such a big event takes place in Frederikshavn. It is a party for us, so we are very much looking forward to it, says Frederikshavn Municipality’s mayor, Birgit Stenbak Hansen (S).
The mayor comes and welcomes people to the convention from the morning hours. And the rules of badminton are far from foreign to her. She herself has spent several hours in various halls since her son has been playing badminton for many years.
The badminton memories stretch far back. All the way back to the time when the stars on the international badminton scene were named Morten Frost and Lene Køppen.
– I continue to follow how the Danes are doing at the World Cup, Olympics and the other major tournaments. At the same time, I like to watch VEB‘s matches when I have the opportunity. Badminton is something we are good at here in the municipality. For me, however, it is also important that we remember the width, says the mayor.
Also at Badminton Denmark, they look forward to LM finally being settled. The tournament has been canceled twice.
– Tournaments like this can help retain players. Not everyone can become world champion like Viktor Axelsen, but hopefully everyone can have some good and completely unique experiences through the sport of badminton. And just such experiences LM helps to provide, says Tore Vilhelmsen, chairman of Badminton Denmark.
The fact that Frederikshavn is the host is no coincidence, he states.
– Frederikshavn, which also has the flagship VEB, does a lot for the sport of badminton. In addition, we as a union are interested in getting around the whole country. There is a senior-DM in Esbjerg in a couple of weeks, and Final 4 in the Badminton League is played in Brøndby. So we try to spread events all over the map, says Tore Vilhelmsen.
LM begins Saturday at. 9.00. It is played on 53 courses in Arena Nord, Bangsbohallen, Abildgårdhallen, Frederikshavn Friskole and FFK-Centret.
