Bose Vavataga 
[File Photo]
Once a strong performer at the Pacific Games, badminton in Fiji has faded, with serious play now mostly confined to Yat Sen School in Suva.
But the sport is making a comeback under Fiji’s newly elected Badminton Committee.
Since taking office in August, the Committee has cleared accounts with FASANOC, the Fiji National Sports Commission, and the Badminton World Federation.
They’ve restarted social events in Suva and organized the country’s largest Secondary Schools Tournament in nearly three decades.
The ultimate goal is ambitious, sending Fijian badminton players to the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
To get there, the plan is to establish eight clubs nationwide, bringing in more than 250 players.
The association will offer a year-round calendar of competitions and clear pathways to tournaments in Fiji, across the Pacific, Oceania, and internationally.
By 2032, Fiji hopes to consistently beat regional rivals like New Caledonia and Tahiti and challenge New Zealand at the Oceania Finals.
Officials also aim to develop semi-professional players abroad, producing two or three Fijians who have played badminton all their lives to compete at the highest level.
Discussions are ongoing with government agencies and ten other national indoor sports associations to build a new indoor arena in Nadi, a move expected to give Fijian badminton a major boost.
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