Badminton Oceania coaching and development manager Robbie Thackham kicks off a development program for CNMI players on Saturday at the TSL Sports Complex.
BADMINTON Oceania coaching and development manager Robbie Thackham, along with Australian players Jacob Schueler and Louisa Ma, are working with the Northern Marianas Badminton Association in conducting a three-week development program for CNMI players at the TSL Sports Complex.
Thackham, Schueler and Ma hosted the first day of the development program for local junior and senior players.
Schueler and Ma will also play in the badminton tournaments Saipan is hosting — the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open and TakeCare Saipan International.
“As players, it’s good for them to be role models,” said Thackham.
This is his second visit to Saipan. The first was during the Pacific Mini Games in June 2022.
While here, Thackham will work with local badminton players on improving their technical skills and evaluating where they are.
He also wants to work with CNMI coaches “and get a program for them.”
He noted that CNMI players “pick up things quite fast but they haven’t had much training compared to the players of other countries.”
For their part, Schueler and Ma are excited to compete on Saipan.
Schueler, who made the national team at the age of 18, is “looking forward to playing in the international circuit.” He is also a veteran coach with seven years of experience.
Ma, for her part, remembers the CNMI playing in the Oceania Championships. “It was good to see them [CNMI players] there and to see familiar faces here,” she said. She has been playing badminton for 20 years now.
Both players said they are looking forward to watch no. 1 seed Kevin Cordon in action.
