Pangilinan to attend BWF coaching course

Janelle Pangilinan playing for the NMI in one of the two 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualifying tournaments that Saipan hosted last month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)

Northern Marianas Badminton Association director and 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games medalist Janelle Pangilinan is leaving for Denmark next month to attend the Badminton World Federation Female Coach Mentoring Program.

The course, which is held in conjunction with the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2023 and BWF World Coaching Conference 2023 in Copenhagen, will run from Aug. 23 to 25. The program, which is made possible through the collaboration between the five continental members of BWF and the Olympic Solidarity, aims to develop female coaches and encourage them to join the growing pool of well-trained and experienced coaches across the globe.

“I would like to thank the Northern Marianas Badminton Association, Badminton Oceania, and Badminton World Federation for opening this great opportunity for me. I started as a young badminton player, became a national player, and then ventured into coaching, too. I am blessed with all these opportunities because of the support I am getting from the NMBA and Badminton Oceania,” said Pangilinan.

“Next month’s coaching course is another opportunity not just for myself, but for the whole badminton program on island, as having additional knowledge in coaching and learning from experts would allow me to share this knowledge to my fellow coaches as we work together toward developing and training more badminton players in the NMI,” she added.

Janelle Pangilinan teaches children how to hold the racket during a badminton clinic at the TSL Sports Complex. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)

Pangilinan is a product of NMBA’s youth clinic and has represented the NMI in Pacific Games (2019 in Apia, Samoa) and Pacific Mini Games (on Saipan) and in competitions in Guam, New Zealand, and the two 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualifying tournaments that NMBA hosted last month. She is also a member of the NMBA coaching pool that goes around schools to hold Shuttle Time sessions for students and she is currently part of a summer program that conducts badminton clinics at the TSL Sports Complex.

Meanwhile, NMBA president Merlie Tolentino is pleased with Pangilinan’s inclusion to the Female Coach Mentoring Program.

“Coaching is a critical part in the development of any sports program. Our coaches’ commitment and technical expertise, and experience, are very important in supporting our continued efforts to grow badminton in the NMI as they are the main people working with and training players. We welcome every opportunity for our coaches to take part in programs that will help them become more effective and better coaches. Thank you to Badminton Oceania for facilitating this opportunity and to BWF for recognizing the potential of our coaches,” Tolentino said.

The NMBA president added that opportunities like these will also serve as inspiration to individuals, especially student-athletes, involved in the NMI badminton program. Whether one is a player, coach, umpire, or line judge, their commitment to the program can open career pathways to them.

Under the BWF program, Pangilinan will attend the Coaching and Sports Science Education session on Aug. 24, while she will also take part in the two-leg BWF World Coaching Conference scheduled on Aug. 24 and 25. The NMI representatives along with several coaches from the four other continental members of BWF will then observe games in the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2023 in the evening of Aug. 25 for a match analysis as part of the program. (PR)