In badminton, Switzerland is rarely a favorite at major international events. In Europe, Denmark is the biggest badminton nation, followed by France and Germany. Nevertheless, the Swiss always get the opportunity to cause a surprise as outsiders. Especially if the luck of the draw is right and you don’t have to play against a big nation in the first round. Fortunately, this is now the case several times at the upcoming U19 European Championships, which are taking place in Ibiza this week.
Chances of winning the group
The tournament begins with the national competition. Switzerland will not face any of the big nations in the group phase, but rather Croatia, Israel and the Czech Republic. The Czechs in particular should be assessed more strongly. Even if the tasks are big, the Swiss definitely have a chance of winning the group. The extent to which the Uzwil team will be used for the Swiss team will be decided at short notice.
Medal chances for Uzwil
A few days later, the individual European Championships will be held at the same location. 16-year-old Sanna Germann, the youngest representative of the Swiss team, will play in the women’s singles. For them, it’s important to gain valuable experience from the older competition. 18-year-old Liano Panza will play in men’s doubles and mixed doubles. Due to the draw, he certainly has the opportunity to move forward a few rounds. The same applies to 18-year-old Jorina Jann, who will take part in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles events. From Uzwil’s perspective, she probably has the best chance of winning a medal in the women’s doubles.
