Badminton Victoria Grows Partnership with Badminton Geelong
Badminton Victoria is pleased to continue growing its partnership with Badminton Geelong,
one of Badminton Victoria’s affiliated member, with Geelong identified as the hub and home
for Victoria Country activity.
Badminton Geelong has long played an important role within the badminton community,
regularly hosting tournaments, delivering coaching programs, and supporting community-based initiatives. Building on this strong foundation, the expanded partnership reflects
Badminton Victoria’s ongoing commitment to strengthening participation, pathways, and
engagement across regional Victoria.
Establishing a central hub in Geelong provides a practical platform to better support country
clubs, athletes, coaches, and volunteers, while strengthening connections across the state.
Ross Smith, Head Coach and High Performance Manager at Badminton Victoria highlighted
the importance of regional leadership in supporting the growth of the sport:
“We are very excited to have Naman Bhardwaj and Badminton Geelong taking the lead as
the primary place for Badminton Victoria’s Victoria Country initiative. It’s great to see the
game being promoted and growing again in regional areas. It would be really great for
badminton in Victoria if the Victoria Country setup could become a real powerhouse in the
badminton community.”
Badminton Victoria CEO Clint Proctor reiterated the strategic importance of the partnership:
“We’ve been really clear about the importance of our pathways, and this is another step in
backing that up. Victoria Country is central to our community, and the Geelong hub gives us
a strong platform to support regional athletes and clubs now and into the future.”
Naman Bhardwaj, Badminton Sports Development and Facilities Coordinator at Badminton
Geelong, expressed pride in the growing partnership and its significance for regional
badminton:
“We are extremely proud that Badminton Geelong has been identified as the hub and home
of Victoria Country. This partnership represents a significant step forward for regional
badminton, creating clearer pathways and stronger opportunities for players, coaches, and
volunteers across country Victoria. We’re excited to continue working closely with Badminton
Victoria to support the growth of Victoria Country and help elevate regional badminton on
the national stage.”
The partnership supports a long-term focus on strengthening regional development and
building opportunities across country Victoria, including the aspiration to see Victoria
Country representation on the national stage by 2027.
Badminton Victoria looks forward to continuing to work closely with Badminton Geelong to
support regional badminton and build a strong and sustainable future for the sport across
Victoria.
