Players will raise their racquets and smash birdies as the final test event for badminton at the 2015 Canada Winter Games takes to the courts next week in Prince George.
It's the North Central Junior, Open and Masters Badminton tournament March 28-30 at the Northern Sport Centre.
The tourney will feature players from the ages of six to 86 compete in singles, doubles, mixed doubles, parent-child and para-singles wheelchair badminton in novice and competitive events.
Volunteers are still needed as officials.
"We need about 100 lines people for each court [seven courts in total] which is a lot of manpower," said tournament organizing committee chair Lisa Davison. "They don't have to have badminton experience. They will get on-court experience and we'll have smaller events throughout the rest of the year for them to get trained on."
Major officials from Badminton Canada will be arriving from the Yukon, Alberta and B.C. to officiate the test event and train local volunteers as officials.
This tournament is more regional in nature, as between 80 to 100 players from Terrace, Fort St. John, Edmonton and Grande Prairie are competing.
Six portable courts, comprised of a series of mats, on loan from Badminton B.C. will be set up in the Northern Sport Centre, as well as a wooden court for the para-singles events.
"The biggest challenge will be getting the gym set up with the portable courts," said Davison. "We've never played on them before and we have to maintain national and international standards. They're the same mats the Canada Winter Games athletes will be playing on."
Divisions include U12, U14, U16, U19, Open 19-plus and over, to 40 and over, 50 and over, 60 and over, 70 and over, and 80 and over categories.
Parents can even play with their children, even their six year-olds.
Registration for the tournament is open until March 23.
Davison attended the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax and knows what's in store for 2015. This test event will go a long way in ensuring everything is ready and what needs to be done a year from now.
"This is our one and only test event before 2015," she said. "While it's a more regional competition, people won't have seen this level before."
Volunteers who want to assist with the event can email Davison, [email protected]
