Dubai: Danish coach Michael Nobaek, who has been associated with badminton for the past three decades and is a key member of two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen’s team, has expressed his admiration for the talent emerging in the UAE. The 53-year-old believes that the country has the potential to become the world’s No 1 in badminton in the near future.
“Badminton in the whole world is dominated by six or seven Asian countries and Denmark, France, and a bit of Spain from Europe. That’s it. I believe the future will be different. In 10 years from now, a lot of countries will be at the top in the badminton world tour. And my dream, and I think it’s realistic, is that the UAE will be No 1 in the world. Already now, you take the best from Asia, and with me coming here, you start to take the best from Denmark and from Europe. With these two combinations and with their own experience in the UAE, you should not dream about being No 5 or No 6. You should be No 1 in the world and the potential is here,” Nobaek told Gulf News as the UAE team prepared for the World Junior Championships in Nanchang, China, from September 30 to October 13.
Higher ranking
The eight-member UAE team travelling to China includes several promising junior players who participated in a two-week high-performance camp at the Prime Star Excellence Centre in Qusais. The UAE is currently ranked seventh in the tournament, ahead of India (eighth) and Korea (ninth). In Group D, the UAE will face Denmark, New Zealand, Cook Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago. China tops the seedings, with Thailand in second place.
“The good thing about Dubai is it is located exactly between Asia and Europe. The next challenge for the UAE Badminton Federation will be to sustain that growth and take the players to the next level. Badminton at the senior level is very complex, just like tennis and golf. So we need a lot of support and need to make the pathway for going to the Olympics — whether in 2028 or 2032. This camp is a pilot project, and hopefully, there will be many more to come,” Nobaek added.
Rising stars
UAE players have been making rapid progress on the world stage, especially since the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in 2022. Seventeen-year-old Bharath Latheesh leads the way, currently ranked fifth in the World Junior Rankings after holding the top spot earlier this year. The other members of the UAE team include Dev Vishnu, Dhiren Ayyappan, Dev Ayyappan, Mysha Omer Khan, Taabia Khan, Sakshi Prakash Kurbkhelgi, and Taralaxmi Karthikeyan.
“Some of these players are already on the senior tour, ranging in age from 14 to 18. The superstar from the UAE right now is Bharath, who is doing great and will peak in China. It’s exciting. We also have three other boys and four girls who are doing their best. This is a team event, and it will be interesting to see if we can improve. UAE is a new federation, and being ranked No 7 in this championship is already a great achievement.”
High-Performance camp
The camp also saw participation from nine other promising junior players, including Riyan Malhan, Adithya Kiran, Nathan Mathew, Steve Mathew, Zeebacker, Madhumitha Sundarapandian, Zainaba Reem Siraj, and Emiratis Abdul Aziz Yahya and Ghadeer.
The two-week full-time camp featured two daily sessions focused on intense training, followed by recovery sessions.
“With my experience of more than 30 years, I can say that these players have huge potential. Right now, they are among the top junior players, and they can do even better. The next step is transitioning to the senior level and becoming part of the world tour. I’m excited to see how they will perform in China, especially in the match against Denmark. I’m fully supporting the UAE side,” Nobaek concluded.
