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Oceania officer sees 12 qualified coaches from NMBF
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Posted on Oct 04 2008
Tony Mordaunt, the Regional Development Manager of Oceania Badminton Confederation, said there are 12 qualified coaches from the Northern Marianas Badminton Federation.
Mordaunt said these coaches who have been attending the coaching clinic he is conducting at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym would eventually be able to officiate tournaments that OBC will be sanctioning in the future.
Twenty-two players have been attending the clinic and those who will be selected will be asked to teach the basics of the sports to interested individuals.
“Right now, I’m instilling with them the basic ideas about the game,” Mordaunt said.
These include footwork, technique and positioning.
The ongoing clinic, which is a brainchild of NMBF President Marconi Calindas, is part of Mordaunt’s 11-day visit on Saipan.
He will also visit various schools here to promote the sport.
Asked to assess the level of play on Saipan, Mordaunt, who is from New Zealand, said that although the group has been in existence for about three years, he saw good signs toward developing good players
After Saipan, Mordaunt is scheduled to go to Palau for the same goal.
He has been visiting Pacific countries that are part of the Oceania zone and with the exception of Australia and New Zealand, Fiji, he said has the best players with the best program.
Fiji has a junior program which sets up regular tournaments being done in schools.
“The same thing goes in New Caledonia and Samoa,” Mordaunt said.
Mordaunt hopes the CNMI will become a member of OBC soon to boost its program by getting benefits given to OBC members.
A member country in the OBC could avail of free visits by development officers of the zone, and free equipment and training.
Badminton is a regular event in the Summer Olympics.
