Syracuse club badminton kicks off season with tournament

Not many club sports host large competitions, but Syracuse Badminton did just that on Sunday. 

The Greater Lakes Badminton Tournament took place inside Flanagan Gymnasium in the heart of SU’s campus. Along with Syracuse, the University of Buffalo, RIT, the University of Rochester, and SUNY Binghamton participated.

The tournament filled nearly every court in Flanagan early in the day, but fewer were needed as the day went on. That was because of the tournament’s unique format. 

The day began with a round-robin style play, where every player competed against each other to determine playoff seedings. Because of the number of matches required, this portion lasted for the majority of the day to ensure fair standings.

Players also competed in multiple events throughout the day. Some contestants went for the trifecta, competing in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Others decided to focus on one event form since it was the first tournament of the year for all five schools. 

For most competitors, the structured tournament setting was new to them, so sticking to one event helped ease them back into competition. 

“I love the environment,” a contestant from RIT, Zifeng Li, said. “I love having a lot of schools participate in the sport I love. Everyone was very welcoming, but I am probably going to stick to doubles just to see where I am at.”

Doubles proved to be the most popular format of play. Most schools entered multiple teams for mixed doubles, with one male and one female player per squad. Competitors chose to play doubles because they said it reduced individual pressure and allowed them to play with a teammate..

At the end of the tournament, the final standings were determined based on a points system, which was calculated by the number of events each school won. 

The University of Buffalo came out on top, followed by Syracuse and RIT. For most athletes, the result did not seem to matter. Athletes who competed said they enjoyed the chance to experience something new through their favorite sport. 

“I think it is the camaraderie that we all have together while competing against other schools,” Jess Van said, who is a senior on SU’s team. “It is not like everybody can play. You actually have to try out and be really consistent, and you have to commit. Seeing everybody cheer for each other, and to compete against other schools, it is a really good feeling.”

The Syracuse Club Badminton team will not have to wait long for another chance to compete. The team is scheduled to compete in tournaments hosted by RIT and Buffalo later this month. 

Although Sunday’s result wasn’t what The Orange hoped for in their season opener, they know the season is long and there will be more opportunities to win while also having fun.