OFSAA Badminton Features New High School And Open Divisions

OFSAA badminton, which will get underway Thursday in Windsor, will feature, for the first time a division between ‘high school’ and ‘open’ athletes in the singles divisions.

This new playing regulation for mens and womens singles, looks to provide additional opportunities to excusively high school trained athletes, while limiting certain portions of the OFSAA event to players who also compete with another badminton program or club.

According to the new regulations, a ‘high school division’ athlete is “A badminton player who exclusively trains with and competes with/for their high school and does not train or compete with/for any other badminton program,” or a grade 9 or 10 player “who ceased to compete with/for any badminton
program in the three (3) years prior to the beginning of the school year.”

All other badminton players, who are OFSAA eligible, will be classified as ‘open division’ competitors.

Only ‘high school’ athletes will be able to participate in the “C Flight” of the OFSAA competition. All ‘high school’ athletes will be guaranteed four matches at OFSAA, while ‘open’ athletes will only be guaranteed two.

Locally, ESPC leads the way heading into OFSAA with 8 athletes competing at OFSAA. UCC also has one entry.

OFSAA will run from May 3-5 in Windsor at St. Clair College.