[Written by Stephen Wright]
Danial Hughes, the Bermuda Badminton Association president, believes their Island Games team could not be better prepared for success in Orkney, Scotland.
The team of seven – Hughes, Aaron Simmons, Rishi Gadimwale, Jin Sun, Desi Darrell, Emma Moran-Lee, See Ju Chan and Somers Stevenson – have been training seven days a week at BAA Gymnasium as they look to build on their showing in Guernsey two years ago.
They have also had a recent training camp on the island with Rebecca Pantaney, the team manager and former England international, and coach Anne Corbett.
Pantaney, who helped England win a gold medal in the women’s team event at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpa, Malaysia, in 1998 and Corbett will travel with the team.
“Rebecca is a former Falkland Islands team manager and served as our team manager at the Gibraltar Games in 2017,” Hughes told Bernews.
“She visits the island two or three times a year for a few weeks at a time for training camps.
“Rebecca will be a massive help during the tournament – warming players up, making sure everyone knows when they’re on, eating properly.
“She’s got a great pedigree, and we’re lucky to have her.
“We’ve been training seven days a week at BAA – they have bene great allowing us to train early mornings at the gym.”
Hughes has high hopes for the island’s top player Aaron Simmons, 23, who harbours hopes of turning professional.
“Aaron has been over to the UK for a few weeks and stays with Rebecca for coaching and tournaments – things are going really well,” he said.
“He’s looking for sponsorship and wants to start playing in some more international tournaments.
“There’s isn’t much of a challenge for him on the island, so he needs to go overseas to test himself.”
Hughes expects some tough challenges for the teams they will face in Orkney – Isle of Man, Orkney and Gotland.
“We under no illusions how tough it will be,” he said. “The team is stronger than it was two years ago, for sure.
“We’d love to have more youth coming through and Emma [Moran-Lee] has been running a youth programme at Somersfield Academy [where she teaches].
“Our challenge is to keep the momentum between the Games.”
The Bermuda badminton team is sponsored by Sompo International and Kuvare Life Re.
Bermuda badminton team: Danial Hughes, Aaron Simmons, Rishi Gadimwale, Jin Sun, Desi Darrell, Emma Moran-Lee, See Ju Chan, Somers Stevenson. Coaches: Rebecca Pantaney and Anne Corbett.
