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 News from Around Banderas Bay | September 2007 
Puerto Vallarta To Host Pan American Badminton Championship
 Bob Cohen - PVNN
| | For more exact and updated information, call the Canto Del Sol Resort at (322) 226-1023. Press #5 to get an English speaking operator. |
With the baseball season winding down, football just starting, tennis and golf going strong, the sport of Badminton is not generally high on most people's list of spectator sports. Puerto Vallarta, however will be hosting the XIV Pan American Badminton Championships at the Canto Del Sol Resort beginning September 11th and culminating with championship matches on September 16th.
The international tournament is for youth, both male and female and divided into two age groups called Infantil and Juvenil. The Infantil group is for 11-14 year olds and the Juvenil group is for the 15-18 year olds.
Actually this really is a big deal as far as sports exposure goes for Puerto Vallarta. There are over 295 competitors from fifteen countries in the competition. Included are the United States, Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Mexico as the host country. There will be an Opening Ceremony on September 12th at 8:00 pm.
Mexico is the host country for the XVII Pan American Games in 2011 and the home city will be Guadalajara. Mexico was the host country in 1955 and 1975, both in Mexico City. The games are very similar to the Olympics and competitions are also every four years. The countries that compete are all nations of the Americas, but in recent years have been more popular with Latin American countries. In 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil there were 42 competing countries playing 41 sports and had 5500 participants. All are records for the competitions. The hope is that Puerto Vallarta is considered as a co-host for the 2011 competition.
Badminton is an Olympic sport and is the only racquet sport that doesn't use a type of ball, but uses a projectile shaped object called a "shuttlecock" and is hit with a racquet smaller than a tennis, and larger than a squash racquet, however is thinner and lighter than both. The shuttlecock is hit over a 5 foot 1 inch net as opposed to a lower tennis net and must be returned in the air. The deceleration due to the design of the projectile device is faster than that of a regular ball. The point is over when one side cannot return the shuttlecock into play. The game is played indoors because wind plays too big a factor and is played as both a singles and doubles competition.
Come out and watch for yourself. I was out early Monday morning watching officials set up the courts on the covered tennis courts at the resort, where wind will not be a factor. I also caught some practice sessions with the competitors. After watching the caliber of play, I intend to watch and report on the competition and recommend the event for all spectators.
Admission is free to watch the competition. For more exact and updated information, call the Canto Del Sol Resort at (322) 226-1023. Press #5 to get an English speaking operator. |
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