Northern Marianas badminton players in action. Photo: NMBA Photo: NMBA
The Northern Marianas Badminton Association (NMBA) won Badminton World Federation's (BWF) Member Association Participation Award during the recent 3rd Annual Member Association Awards held in Chengdu, China.
The award was for the asssociation's 'Interscholastic Badminton League' program that was first introduced in the islands in 2021, in partnership with the CNMI Public School System and TakeCare Insurance Company, Inc.
The NMBA is the first member of Badminton Oceania to have won the award.
It is also the first national sports federation in the NMI to win an award from a world governing body of sports.
"This recognition means a lot to us and to our partners in developing the sport of badminton in our islands," NMBA president Merlie Tolentino said.
"The NMBA would like to thank the CNMI Public School System, the teachers/coaches students, and officials of all public and private schools in the Norther Marianas, and TakeCare Insurance, for their contribution to the success of our interscholastic program.
"We would also like to acknowledge the continued support and opportunities that the NMBA has been receiving from Badminton World Federation, Badminton Oceania, and the Northern Marianas Sports Association."
Tolentino said the significance of this award cannot be understated both for the region and for Northern Marianas Badminton.
Badminton Oceania secretary general Julie Carrel said the small country of 50,000 people now has badminton as a "sport of significance through the development work being done in the schools and with the juniors and the hosting of the two back-to-back international tournaments".
"I congratulate the NMBA team for their achievements and know that badminton in Northern Marianas will continue to go from strength to strength," Carrell added.
The BWF Member Association Participation Award is one of the four awards contested by the 201 member-associations of the world governing body of badminton.
The three others are Membership Grant Program Impact Award, Inclusion Award, and Promotion Award.
The awards are designed to showcase excellence and promote best practice across BWF's member-MAs, with nominees selected based on the program's excellence, innovation, impact, and sustainability.