Jayce
The Badminton Europe Confederation (BEC) extends heartfelt congratulations to the Swiss Badminton Association on its 70th anniversary. We celebrate their achievements, reflecting seven decades of dedication and progress.
Swiss Badminton Association President Robert De Kock: “Seventy years is a long time—few organizations achieve such longevity. Since then, our sport has continually evolved, with men’s singles badminton now being one of the most-watched events at the Olympics.
In Switzerland, badminton has also made significant strides. We have more members than ever before, forming a semi-professional league with many top European players. Players can choose from over 280 clubs and more than 70 private centers, supported by our professional office with nine staff members and four coaches. Every March, the world’s best players gather at the ‘Swiss Open,’ a tournament with a history spanning over 40 years. We have also successfully hosted three World Championships: in 1995, 2019, and the Para-Badminton World Championships in 2019.
During my 10-year tenure as president, we’ve made considerable progress in professionalizing the Swiss Badminton Office, enhancing services for all members, and centralizing national team players (with 12 professional players in Bern). We continue to improve, recently establishing a 50/50 gender-balanced board. Over the years, our ethics and good governance standards have been robust. Performance-wise, we are on the right track, meeting our goals by qualifying two players for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Additionally, we have celebrated European and World Championships and medals with our elite, junior, and senior groups. Not to mention the outstanding achievements of our para-badminton athletes.
If you read all of the above, you’ll understand how fulfilling it is to work for the Swiss Badminton Association, whether as an employee or a board member. We conduct our activities with great pride. We are prepared for the future and look forward to the next developments in Swiss badminton.”
Swiss Badminton Association Managing Director Simone Ramsauer: “As the General Manager, I’ve helped shape and accompany Swiss badminton for over seven years. These years have been intense, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, which demanded everything from all sports organizations. Recently, we have experienced emotions and success in this fascinating yet demanding sport, both at the elite and junior competitive levels, as well as in club development.
I am honored to lead Swiss badminton and further professionalize it. We achieve this step by step with an excellent team, for which I am very grateful. I hope that more and more Swiss and Europeans will discover this attractive and inclusive sport and that Switzerland will continue to lead in European badminton.”
The Badminton Europe Confederation extends its sincere congratulations on this milestone and looks forward to seeing Swiss badminton continue to grow and succeed.
