Badminton pair upbeat about Olympic qualification

Imagine having to jump through hoops to realise a lifelong dream of representing your country at the Olympic Games.

On top of that, there’s the financial burden of funding qualification tournaments for the global showpiece yourself.

This is the reality of badminton pair Amy Ackerman (17) and Deidré Laurens Jordaan (27).

Not only must they worry about results on the court, but they also have to go cap in hand and beg for funds.
All of this is happening because Badminton South Africa’s (BSA) coffers are dry.

“It’s something we are used to,” said Deidré. “Badminton in South Africa is a small sport. We don’t get the funding I think the sport deserves.”

As they prepare to take on Africa’s best at the All Africa Senior Championships from February 13 to 19, at the back of their minds is the fact that their Road To Paris (RTP) is riddled with potholes like the road that leads to the John Barrable Hall where the continental games will be held.

As one of many athletes on the RTP programme, the pair must crisscross the continent, sometimes even Asia and Europe, to compete in tournaments to boost their world rankings.

Being dedicated to their craft, they accepted the physical and mental demands of the sport but admit it’s in the pocket where it hits them most.

“It would be easier to focus on our game and not have to go to work and worry about training afterwards.

“Other athletes don’t even have to do that. If backed financially, our performances would increase,” explained Deidré.

Their world ranking was boosted by a win at the Botswana International, silver medals at the Egypt and Zambia International tournaments and a quarter-final finish at the Maldives International Challenge last year.

They were semi-finalists at the South Africa International in Cape Town in December.

“We’ve been training every day, and we’ve tried to play as many tournaments as possible to get our world ranking up and to gain as much experience as possible.

“We are always getting there, reaching the knockouts. We hope to take the title at the All Africa Championships,” said Amy.

Upbeat and optimistic that they will walk with the South African cohort at the opening ceremony at the Jardins du Trocadéro in Paris, the duo is determined to succeed.

A win on their home court inside the John Barrable Hall will smooth their Road To Paris, but how they get to next year’s games will depend on the goodwill of South Africans.

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