Eight players will make their Commonwealth Games debut for the Australian Falcons in Birmingham as badminton looks to a new generation for international medal success.
The 10-strong team is aiming to break a gold-medal drought dating back to Lisa Campbell’s success in Victoria, Canada in 1994. Australia last won a medal in badminton at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Heading to her third Commonwealth Games is Melbourne’s Gronya Somerville, the senior player in our team who is thrilled to be representing Australia again at the Games and is excited about the squad that is bound for Birmingham.
“It is incredible to be selected for my third Commonwealth Games and have the opportunity to represent Australia again,” Somerville said.
“We have a great group of players who are going to be working hard and motivating one another to be at their best.
“It is always exciting to be at the Games… I can’t wait to be in Birmingham.”
Brisbane’s Hsuan-Yu (Wendy) Chen, 28, played with distinction at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, reaching the quarterfinals in the badminton mixed teams event.
Chen is also a dual Olympian who has enjoyed success internationally and shapes as a leading contender for a medal if she peaks for the Birmingham Games, which will be held from July 28 to August 8. She has won seven Oceania Championships in women’s singles, including this year’s edition in Melbourne.
Among the debut players chosen for the Australian Falcons are siblings Angela and Jack Yu, who have shown great potential as they prepare for the biggest competition of their careers. The Melbourne products moved to Brisbane seven years ago but have now returned to their home state to train for the Games.
Angela Yu, 19, showed she could be a force for the future in competitions prior to the pandemic. She will play in the individual and team events.
Her brother Jack Yu, 17, is the youngest member of the Falcons squad, a player who has shown superb potential in junior ranks. He is balancing training and competition with his final year of high school.
Kaitlyn Ea, also from Melbourne, is the other teenager in the team. She will represent her nation in both the team and individual competition at Birmingham.
Sydney’s Tiffany Ho and Tran Hoang Pham, who is debuting at the age of 37 and is the oldest member of the Falcons, are the only representatives from New South Wales.
Melburnian Nathan Tang, 31, and Geelong’s Jacob Schueler, 24, along with Western Australia’s Yingxiang Lin, 22, round out the Australian squad.
Australian Commonwealth Games Chef de Mission Petria Thomas OAM shared her excitement for the Team Members who are going to be donning the green and gold in Birmingham.
“Congratulations to the 10 Badminton Australia Falcons who are the latest athletes to join the Australian Team for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games,” Thomas said.
“It is fantastic to be taking such a vibrant team to the Games, with eight debutants and two returning alumni, it is a massive moment for not only them but also their families, coaches and supporters, who have helped the Team Members on their journeys.
“The Commonwealth Games provide an exciting milestone in an athlete’s career and I know that our Badminton Falcons will be competing with pride and passion in Birmingham.”
Badminton Australia CEO Jamie Parsons welcomed today’s selection of Australian Falcons who are heading to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“Today is a great day for the 10 Badminton Australia Falcons who have been selected to represent Australia at the upcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games,” Parsons said.
“We have nominated an exciting group of talented athletes who are ready to test their skills against the best players from across the Commonwealth.
“On behalf of Badminton Australia, we celebrate the 10 athletes, their coaches, families and supporters for all of their hard work and determination to get to this point. We are proud of them all and we can’t wait to watch them compete in Birmingham.”
Badminton made its debut at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica in 1966 and has been on the program at every Games since. England and Malaysia have dominated the sport, winning 66 of the 82 gold medals awarded in Commonwealth Games history.
Australia will be looking to break a two-Games medal-winning drought, having last won bronze in the women’s doubles at the Delhi 2010 Games. Our last gold was in 1994 with Lisa Campbell in the women’s singles.
Lisa Campbell (women’s singles) and Mike Scandolera and Audrey Tuckey (mixed doubles) are Australia’s three gold medallists in the sport.
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held from Thursday 28 July to Monday 8 August with the Badminton competition to be conducted from Friday 29 July all the way through to Monday 8 August with the competition to be held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).
