Auckland Badminton Association (ABA) has launched its new *Welcome Girls* program for the 2024/2025 season, with strong results even before registration closes. "Our new Welcome Girls program is already proving a success," said Tony Naidu of ABA. "Before our registrations have closed, we have already increased our girls' participation by over 20%. Overall, our numbers for programs have increased, which can directly be attributed to our NZ-leading development programs along with our updated offerings for the 2024/2025 representative season."

The *Welcome Girls* program is part of ABA's broader effort to encourage more girls to play badminton, recognizing the health and wellbeing benefits of increased sports participation. Designed for girls aged 10 to 18 who were not part of any ABA representative squad in 2024, the program aims to introduce fresh talent into the sport and provide opportunities for development.

ABA is currently trialling players during our *Te Kaha* sessions. Successful participants will join an ABA squad for the remainder of the 2024/2025 season. "There is still time to register for the Welcome Girls program and for our overall Representative program," Naidu added, urging more girls to get involved.

For more details on the *Welcome Girls* and representative programs, visit the ABA website: https://www.aklbadminton.com/REPRESENTATIVE/overview

Article added: Tuesday 17 September 2024