The practice of badminton has a positive impact on the physical and psychological health of those who practice it, which makes this sport an ideal resource to achieve and maintain a state of well-being that improves the quality of life of both young people and adults and old people. Badminton is a sport that can be practiced at all ages, from children to retirees. In the municipality of El Campello this sports discipline has had a greater interest in recent years, especially due to the El Campello Badminton Club, which emerged in 2000 and has promoted the practice of this sport.
A group of friends, who had also been badminton players with national triumphs -Ernesto García, Inma de Antonio and Joaquín Vilanoba, among others- decided to create a club in the town and be able to practice and teach this sport. «The club was created in 2000 by said group of friends and whose president was José Richart, a few years later the vast majority of these went to other towns for work reasons and in 2004 I arrived, I wanted to resume the badminton practice, because years ago he had been training and teaching at the Luis Asensi swimming club. In that same year they had elections and the president gave me his position », explains Juan Antonio López, president of the El Campello Badminton Club.
Now, the club has around fifty registered in the categories of youngest, junior, infant, cadet, junior, absolute and senior. In addition, they have obtained diversity of achievements throughout the years. “We have been reaping podiums in numerous championships.” In the first years, the sisters Julia and Elena Oncina won in the sub-13 categories and later in the sub-15, with the singles and doubles modalities. Likewise, the mixed doubles pair formed by Diana Pérez and Gonzalo Ferrando obtained second place in the sub-15 of the Spanish championship. José Luis Asensi, María Jesús Almagro, Loli López, and Vicente Alcaraz also obtained victories in senior national championships (veterans).
«Later a very young girl with a lot of potential arrived, Elena Payá, in a matter of two years we managed to make her the champion of Spain in individual and runner-up in doubles in the sub-11 category, from then on she has been climbing to quite a few podiums. Miguel Payá, brother of this good player, is following in her footsteps and together with his partner Mateo Fernández they have won medals in doubles, singles, in the sub-11 and then sub-13 categories and are working for the sub- fifteen. For his part, Adrián Oncina won a bronze in the Spain under-19 individual », highlights the president. Among their numerous achievements, they won first place in the second division Autonomous Club League for several years and have been able to play one season in the First Division National League.
From the club they see a very positive future: “a future with projection because boys and girls with many qualities and above all with a good attitude to become champions are signing up,” they maintain.
