By Charlize Althea Garcia, September 5, 2023
ASI announced badminton as their newest intramural sport offering Aug. 15. As an intramural sport, students will have the chance to participate in leagues and tournaments hosted by the program.
The intramural season will begin Oct.1 and end Dec. 1. The sport, which is similar to tennis, is a racket sport played by two opposing players or two opposing teams of two. A shuttlecock, or birdie, is hit from either side with each match consisting of three games.
Following the badminton club’s rise in popularity as well as increased interest in badminton tournaments, the sport caught the attention of staff which led to the launch of the program, according to DJ Netherly, ASI’s competitive sports manager.
Students joining the league can expect an introductory meeting explaining the rules and regulations depending on the division they choose to join. In a match, students will have the opportunity to play with other competitors with different levels of experience.
“We definitely encourage players who have played the sport and new players to come out and play because I feel like they all have something to gain,” said Netherly.
Whether the student needs to sharpen their skills or learn new techniques, allotted practice times will be offered to better enhance the player’s personalized skill set.
“Those new players can definitely learn from those experienced players, how they rally, how they turn their shots and vice versa,” said Netherly. “Those experienced players can use that opportunity to try out those new plays.”
The process of creating an intramural sport league starts with an observation of student interest. ASI takes attendance, sports clubs and open rec into consideration before planning to incorporate the sport into their intramural leagues system.
Netherly spoke about collaborating with the badminton club, hoping to create an interdependent relationship that benefits the badminton community on campus. Students are encouraged to participate both in the league and club to cultivate their technique and competitiveness.
Vice president of the badminton club Matthew Go mentioned that the beginning of badminton as an intramural sport will revitalize the competitive nature within the club and increase interest in the sport.
Aside from competition, Go spoke about his hopes to integrate a relationship with the intramural league that provides guidance to beginner players within the club and prepares them for the league. Just like the intramural league, the club welcomes students from all majors and with any level of training or experience.
Electrical engineering student Nicholas Surjani has been a member of the badminton club since 2019. He has trained competitively since childhood and comes from a family that shares his love of badminton. When informed that the sport would be added to ASI’s intramural sports offerings, his excitement was clear.
“I think as a member that sounds like a really great idea,” said Surjani. “It just means we can popularize badminton once again and potentially make it even more popular.”
Implementing badminton into the intramural sports on campus will also allow experienced players to teach newcomers the unique skillsets required to excel in the sport, skillsets that many newcomers wrongfully assume are the same as those used in sports like tennis and volleyball.
The deadline to join the league is Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. with opportunities to join double and single divisions. Those interested in joining can register through IMLeagues, ASI’s intramural registration partner. Further instructions on how to join a team are available on the ASI Campus Recreation website.
Feature image by Darren Loo
