SLB initiates administrative workshops for regional development and district pools
This ambitious programme is directed by the RDC in collaboration with the Provincial Associations who overlook district activities. Accordingly, coaches, assistant coaches and coordinators were nominated from the provincial structure in collaboration with the district associations to conduct these training pools in all districts within each of the nine provinces that would produce future top talent for the sport.
These provincial units needed to however acquire a model development programme which RDC thought was important to put in place even as the regional programme took shape. With that in mind, RDC conducted an intensive two-day residential workshop for 55 provincial coaches, assistant coaches and coordinators drawn from the districts at its stadium covering a gamut of important disciplines from basic administration to district pool training fundamentals, physical wellbeing, exercise routines, sports nutrition and preventive medical interventions.
The expert subject specialist panel comprised Dr. ThushanWijesinghe (Sports Medicine and Nutrition) Pradeep Welagedara (National Coach) and Ashoka Jayasundera (Physical Trainer).
The 55 participants represented 19 districts namely Jaffna, Mullativu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Killinochchi, Ampara, Batticoloa, Trincomalee, Pollonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Kalutara, Matara, Galle, Kegalle, Matale, Badulla and Moneragala.
RDC Chairman, Roshan Gunawardhana led the programme with the able support of SLB President, Rohan de Silva and a host of SLB officials, medical and subject experts who shared their experiences and put together a well-knit planning, training and implementation mechanism targeting the age group of 16 years and below, that will stand in good stead as the regional development district pool administrative plan unfolds over the next several months.
RDC intends covering all 25 districts during 2021. In doing so, this would provide a feeder of 500 talented new badminton players into the junior national pool, greatly enhancing the skill set laying the foundation to graduate in to the senior and national pool with the absolute focus required to move into high performance and international competition thresholds.