BWF Development & Shuttle Time

📣𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗵𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲🏸
𝐎𝐔𝐄𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐎𝐆𝐎 𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄
𝗦𝗵𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗼 🇧🇫

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬
During my childhood, I grew up in a disadvantaged neighbourhood where there wasn’t any organised sports. Many of the young people around me started to pick up bad habits like smoking or stealing. One day, while walking around the neighbourhood, I discovered a sports complex. I went inside and I saw people playing. At that moment, I decided not to follow the same path as some of my friends. I chose to channel my energy and my anger into sport.

Sport allowed me to stay focused, disciplined, and to build my life differently. It is also that choice which later allowed me to become one of the best athletes in my discipline.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧
I discovered badminton in Côte d'Ivoire when I was in sixth grade during a PE class at school. One day, we saw a man playing badminton. We were curious, and we went closer to watch. We asked him if we could also play. He then gave us training days. This man was Guy Max Kpatta, and he later became my coach. He was the one who trained and coached me until I became a champion.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
What struck me immediately was the speed of the game, the technique, and the precision needed to control the shuttlecock. I found this sport very dynamic and exciting. It made me want to learn more and to improve every day.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧
Since that first encounter, badminton has become a true passion in my life. This sport has opened up many opportunities for me. Thanks to badminton, I was able to travel, participate in national and international competitions, and meet many people who contributed to my growth.

After my baccalaureate in 2020, I came to Burkina Faso to continue my studies. I kept practising and developing badminton. I also started passing on my knowledge. I helped correct some technical mistakes in players, and I attended Level 1 and Level 2 coach training. Today, I am a coach and coordinator, and I continue to share my passion with young people. Badminton has given me so much in my life that I sometimes struggle to express my emotions to explain everything this sport has given me.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬
This sport has changed my life. It has given me opportunities, travels, connections, and a career in sport. Now, my mission is to pass on this passion to young people and to contribute to the development of badminton in my country.

Badminton is a very fast sport that requires technique, focus, and strategy. It is also an accessible sport that everyone can practice, regardless of age. It develops coordination, discipline, and sportsmanship.

𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲
I’m the National Shuttle Time Coordinator in Burkina Faso. In this role, I coordinate the programme's activities in the country, and I train teachers so they can teach badminton in schools. I also contribute to the technical development of the players and to promoting badminton in the community. My goal is to help young people discover this sport and to progress.

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞
Shuttle Time has greatly contributed to the development of badminton in my region. Thanks to this programme, many students, teachers, and educational leaders have discovered badminton. Some schools and educational authorities didn’t even know about this sport before.

Even some sports technicians didn’t know that badminton has been an Olympic discipline since the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Today, thanks to Shuttle Time, badminton is increasingly known and practiced in schools.

𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞
The greatest lesson I have learned is that sport can transform the lives of young people. With education, passion, and hard work, we can use sport to create opportunities and give children a future. Shuttle Time also taught me the importance of sharing knowledge and working together to develop badminton.

BWF — Badminton World Federation Badminton Confederation Africa