Kazan welcomes European badminton stars
This February the best badminton players of Europe will come to the capital city of Tatarstan for the European Men’s and Women’s Team Championships and European U15 Championships, which will be held in the Kazan Gymnastics Centre from 13 to 18 February.
Greater in number, Team Russia is made up of 20 players: 10 men and 10 women. The so acknowledged brightest stars of the Russian badminton, Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov, are the major force of the current Russian national team. They were two-time Olympians: the partners fought for the London medals in 2012 and made to the quarterfinal of the Rio tournament four years later. Ivanov and Sozonov are better known in men’s doubles. The athletes have numerous awards, and one of them was clinched here in Kazan, when in 2014 they became the European champions. Perhaps, the victory will help the players in the upcoming competition, and the spectators will see their New Zealand’s rugby team-style celebration moves. Vladimir Malkov, Anatoliy Yartsev, Sergey Sirant, Rodion Alimov, Rodion Kargaev, Alexander Zinchenko, Konstantin Abramov and Nikita Lemeshko are also on a greater list of the men’s team. By the way, Yartsev is from Kazan, and in case he is invited to join the final squad of Russia, the home turf will likely give him an edge. Evgeniy Dremin, Georgiy Karpov and Shakhzod Gulomzoda are included in the reserve team.
The titled athlete, Nina Vislova of Nizhniy Novgorod Oblast, outstands in the women’s national team of Russia. Her rich experience of competing in the most serious events will come into play in Kazan: Vislova won the bronze medal in doubles in the 2012 Olympic Games, the gold and the bronze medals of the European Championships. Besides, Evgeniya Kosetskaya, representing Tatarstan in the national team, has good chances to perform in Kazan. Natalya Perminova, Elena Komendrovskaya, Anastasia Chervyakova, Olga Morozova, Ekaterina Bolotova, Alina Davletova, Anastasia Shapovalova and Anastasia Pustinskaya will play along. Kseniya Evgenova and Anastasia Semenova are on the reserve team.
Other competing countries will also bring their elite badminton players to Kazan. Jan Jorgensen will lead the men’s Danish team, Cristinna Pederson and Kamilla Rytter-Juhl will lead the women’s squad. Jorgensen became gold in Kazan twice: in the individual event of the 2014 European Championship and in the team event in 2016. Brice Leverdez is not only an excellent badminton player and repeated champion of France, but also a creator of his own brand – he owns a clothing line. One more superstar of the world badminton is part of Team Spain: Carolina Marin was crowned the Olympic champion in Rio de Janeiro, two-time world and European champion. The specialty of the Irish are siblings Chloe and Sam Magee, who play in the mixed event and even took the bronze of the 2015 European Games.