Presentations on the Art and Science of Competing

Chan Ho Yuen Daniel

Presentations on the Art and Science of Competing

As a former elite badminton player and then coach, it was an unusual transition for Chan Yan Kit into the world of Para badminton. Having built expertise from scratch, particularly in wheelchair badminton, and having guided his trainee to a Paralympic Games bronze, Chan will have valuable lessons to offer at the BWF World Coaching Conference (24-25 August 2023), where he is one of expert speakers.

The conference will be held during the week of the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2023 in Copenhagen.

“The initial challenges for me included understanding of the specific needs and challenges faced by athletes with disabilities, and be able to adapt training programmes and techniques to meet these needs,” said Chan, who will be making a presentation on ‘Training for Elite Wheelchair Athletes’.

Chan, currently a Para badminton coach with Hong Kong China, during his playing days.

The on-court session, which Chan will present with Tokyo 2020 Paralympics bronze medallist Chan Ho Yuen Daniel, will shed light on the unique training demands of elite wheelchair players, and how the team has approached those challenges.

“To train wheelchair badminton athletes, we must have a deep understanding of the game and be able to modify training exercises for wheelchair athletes,” said Chan. “At the same time, we need to stand by their side for the challenges they face, and also be open-minded and willing to learn. Therefore, a coach must have the technical knowledge and skills to train wheelchair badminton athletes while adapting to their unique needs and challenges, also providing effective guidance, motivation, and support.”

The conference covers a wide range of topics. Badminton personalities such as Ra Kyung Min and Christinna Pedersen, former Danish national coach Kenneth Larsen and men’s singles veteran Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus will speak about various aspects of the game. Experts from the wider sporting world include Jan Ekstrand (who led a UEFA study on elite club injuries), Ben Ryan (Director of Elite Performance, Brentford Football Club), Andy Wood (former Team GB Head Coach) and Alistair Higham (former LTA Head of Coach Education).

Higham and Wood, authors of a recently-published book titled ‘The Winning Edge in Badminton’, will speak on ‘Momentum, Match Flow and the Art of Competing’.

Is competing an art or a science? Briefly introducing his presentation, Higham said: “Competing is more of an art because there is no one right answer and the conditions and the response can be interpreted in different ways. There is more than one route to victory. Of course, science is used and increasingly data drives decisions before the match but the skill is in the adaptations made as the journey of the match unfolds.

“The skills lie in understanding the demands of the game, how matches can unfold and adapting as the match develops. This is what we cover in the book.”