Badminton/Table tennis courses for kids

Badminton

Badminton is a racket sport which uses light rackets to volley an object called a shuttlecock, shuttle, birdie or bird back and forth over a high net. The history of badminton can be traced as far back as ancient Greece, China in India. The popularity was boosted in the 17th Century with a child game called Battledore and Shuttlecock which was essentially badminton played without a net.

Badminton is a sport that demands quick reactions, adaptation to rapid speed changes, muscular strength and endurance. It is a total body workout and has been an Olympic sport since the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992.

Badminton is hugely popular across Asia, in part due to the dominance of players from Japan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea and India winning Olympic medals.

Some examples of players that have all made significant contributions to the badminton community in Hong Kong and Singapore include the following names. These players have represented their countries at major international competitions and inspired many adults and children to take up the sport of badminton.

Angus Ng Ka Long: Angus Ng Ka Long is a professional badminton player from Hong Kong who has won multiple international titles. He started his training during badminton lessons for children. He is known for his powerful smashes and quick movements on the court.
Lee Chun Hei: Lee Chun Hei is a retired badminton player from Hong Kong who was known for his proficiency in both men's doubles and mixed doubles. He won multiple international titles during his career.
Tse Ying Suet: Tse Ying Suet is a professional badminton player from Hong Kong who specializes in mixed doubles. She has won multiple international titles, including the 2018 Asian Games. Her journey in badminton began during her training as a child.
Liang Xiaoyu: Liang Xiaoyu is a retired badminton player from Singapore who was known for her proficiency in women's doubles. She won multiple international titles during her career, including the Southeast Asian Games.
Derek Wong Zi Liang: Derek Wong Zi Liang is a professional badminton player from Singapore who has won multiple international titles, including the Southeast Asian Games. He is known for his quick movements and powerful smashes on the court.
Yeo Jia Min: Yeo Jia Min is a professional badminton player from Singapore who specializes in women's singles. She has won multiple international titles, including the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Where can kids take badminton classes?

The most common institutions that offer facilities and training programs for kids to learn badminton are private sports clubs, and these are the businesses that Bizibuz works with in order to share course schedules and booking logistics. Other sports centres that may offer opportunities for kids to play badminton competitively include the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) Sports Centers in Hong Kong and also ActiveSG Sports Centers which has a network of centers across Singapore. Finally many schools across Hong Kong and Singapore have badminton teams and run coaching badminton classes for kids.

What badminton tournaments and competitions might be open to school age kids in Asia?

There are lots of interschool badminton competitions which means there are lots of opportunities for your child to build sportsmanship and resiliency through badminton. For example

Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation (HKSSF) Inter-School Badminton Competition: This is the largest interschool badminton competition in Hong Kong, organized by the HKSSF. It is open to secondary schools and features both team and individual events.
Inter-school Badminton Championships: This annual competition is organized by the Hong Kong Badminton Association (HKBA) and is open to secondary schools. It features both team and individual events.
Hong Kong Primary and Secondary Schools Joint-school Badminton Tournament: This is a tournament organized by several secondary schools in Hong Kong. It is open to both primary and secondary schools and features both team and individual events.
Hong Kong Inter-School Junior and Senior Badminton Championships: This is a tournament organized by the HKBA and is open to primary and secondary schools. It features both team and individual events.
National School Games Badminton Championships: This is the largest interschool badminton competition in Singapore and is organized by the Ministry of Education. It is open to primary, secondary, and junior college schools and features both team and individual events.
Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) Badminton Championships: This is a tournament organized by the SSSC and is open to primary, secondary, and junior college schools. It features both team and individual events.
Singapore Youth Olympic Festival Badminton Championships: This is a tournament organized by the Singapore National Olympic Council and is open to primary and secondary schools. It features both team and individual events.

Table Tennis

Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is also a racket sport where players use small paddles to volley a lightweight ball back and forth across a table containing a net.

Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) founded in 1926.

Table tennis is also a national obsession in China, closely followed by Japan and Korea, and very popular in Hong Kong given Hong Kong has won the most Olympic medals in table tennis of all sports (equally ranked with swimming and cycling).

Table tennis fervour amongst kids has been heightened in Asia by the popularity of a number of national champions including the following names.

Ma Long (China): Ma Long is a Chinese table tennis player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He has won multiple Olympic gold medals, World Championships, and World Cup titles. His journey as a professional athlete began during his time in the kid’s table tennis class, where he found his inspiration.
Fan Zhendong (China): Fan Zhendong is another Chinese table tennis player who is considered one of the best in the world. He has won multiple World Cup titles and has been ranked as the world No. 1 player.
Xu Xin (China): Xu Xin is a Chinese table tennis player who is known for his powerful forehand and all-around skills. He has won multiple World Championships and World Cup titles.
Harimoto Tomokazu (Japan): Harimoto Tomokazu is a Japanese table tennis player who has been making waves in the sport in recent years. He is known for his aggressive playing style and has won multiple World Tour titles. He began his table tennis journey by taking kid's table tennis classes when he was young.
Jun Mizutani (Japan): Jun Mizutani is another Japanese table tennis player who has been successful at the international level. He has won multiple World Tour titles and has represented Japan at the Olympics.
Lee Sang-su (South Korea): Lee Sang-su is a South Korean table tennis player who has won multiple medals at the Asian Games and other international events. He is known for his powerful backhand and all-around skills.
Chen Meng (China): Chen Meng is a Chinese table tennis player who is currently ranked as the world No. 1 player in women's singles. She has won multiple World Championships and World Cup titles. She began her table tennis training when she was a child.
Ding Ning (China): Ding Ning is another Chinese table tennis player who has been successful at the international level. She has won multiple Olympic gold medals, World Championships, and World Cup titles.
Jiang Tianyi: Jiang Tianyi is a retired table tennis player from Hong Kong who achieved success in both singles and doubles events. He won a bronze medal in the men's doubles event at the 2014 Asian Games and was a member of the Hong Kong team that won the bronze medal in the men's team event at the 2010 Asian Games.
Tie Yana: Tie Yana is a retired table tennis player from Hong Kong who was known for her defensive playing style. She won multiple medals at the Asian Games and was a member of the Hong Kong team that won the bronze medal in the women's team event at the 2004 Olympics.
Lee Ho Ching: Lee Ho Ching is a current table tennis player from Hong Kong who has achieved success in both singles and doubles events. She won a silver medal in the women's doubles event at the 2018 Asian Games and was a member of the Hong Kong team that won the bronze medal in the women's team event at the 2016 Olympics.
Feng Tianwei: Feng Tianwei is a table tennis player from Singapore who has achieved great success at the international level. She won a bronze medal in the women's singles event at the 2012 Olympics and has won multiple medals at the World Championships and Asian Games.
Gao Ning: Gao Ning is a retired table tennis player from Singapore who was known for his powerful forehand. He won multiple medals at the Asian Games and was a member of the Singapore team that won the bronze medal in the men's team event at the 2010 Olympics.
Yu Mengyu: Yu Mengyu is a current table tennis player from Singapore who has achieved success in both singles and doubles events. She won a bronze medal in the women's team event at the 2016 Olympics and has won multiple medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Where can I take my child to watch a top table tennis championship or competition to inspire them to play table tennis?

The International Table Tennis Federation (based in Switzerland and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the governing body for table tennis) runs several annual tournaments in Asian cities.

The Asian Table Tennis Championships is an annual tournament organized by the ITTF. It is held in various Asian cities and features both singles and team events for men and women. In recent years, the tournament has been held in cities such as Yokohama, Japan; Pattaya, Thailand; and Wuxi, China.

The ITTF World Tour is a series of table tennis tournaments held around the world, including in Asia. These tournaments attract top players from around the world and offer significant prize money. In recent years, Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul have hosted World Tour events.

The ITTF-Asian Cup is an annual tournament that brings together the top table tennis players from Asia. It is organized by the ITTF and is held in various Asian cities. In recent years, the tournament has been held in cities such as Yokohama, Japan; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Ahmedabad, India.

Most Asian cities also have national table tennis championships such as the Hong Kong National Championships and the Singapore National Table Tennis Grand Finals with both singles and doubles events for men and women.

The Southeast Asian Games is another option to see a table tennis competition with your child although it’s only run every two years. It attracts top players from countries in the Southeast Asian region, including Singapore.

Can my child participate in interschool and youth competitions to develop sportsmanship and elevate their skills?

There are also a lot of alternatives for kids that are looking to get involved in youth table tennis competitions. Some examples in Hong Kong and Singapore include the following well known competitive circuits. There are sure to be other examples in whatever city you’re located in!

the Hong Kong Junior and Cadet Open is an annual tournament that is part of the ITTF Junior Circuit. It is open to players under the age of 18 and attracts top young players from around the world
the Inter-school Table Tennis Tournament is organized by the Hong Kong Table Tennis Association (HKTTA) and is open to primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong
the National School Games Table Tennis Championships is the largest interschool table tennis competition in Singapore and is organized by the Ministry of Education. It is open to primary, secondary, and junior college schools and features both team and individual events
the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) Table Tennis Championships is a tournament organized by the SSSC and is open to primary, secondary, and junior college schools
the Singapore Youth Olympic Festival Table Tennis Championships are organized by the Singapore National Olympic Council and is open to primary and secondary schools

Benefits of joining badminton or table tennis classes for kids

The benefits of participating in badminton and table tennis classes for children include

enhancing cognitive development
better quality sleep which improves a child’s resiliency and concentration
improving social skills
physical benefits such as strengthening bones and improving hand eye coordination
protecting against future metabolic diseases, cardiovascular disease and cancer
increasing engagement levels and confidence
establishing healthy exercise practices for adulthood