July 14, 2022
Varsha Kumar has been selected to represent Team GB at the Summer Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Banská Bystrica.
The 15-year-old Varsha Kumar from Birmingham is one of two badminton players who will travel to Slovakia later this month, joining Wales’ Harper Leigh.
Team GB are sending a 40-strong squad to the biennial event with five sports represented as Kumar is joined by cyclists, gymnasts, judokas and swimmers.
Reflecting on her selection, Kumar said: “I’m so excited and honoured to represent Team GB in the European Youth Olympics.
“This is not something people get easily and I’m so thankful for this opportunity. I hope to make good friends and gain a good experience from this.
Meet the 40 young Olympic hopefuls selected for the Banská Bystrica 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival 💫#TeamGB
— Team GB (@TeamGB) July 14, 2022
“I’ll do my best to achieve a medal for Great Britain and make them proud!”
Kumar will hope to follow in the footsteps of other British athletes who have attended past festivals and gone on to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games.
Double Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington was part of the Paris 2003 festival, with sprinter Dina Asher-Smith competing in Trabzon in 2011.
English players swept the board with an unbeaten weekend at the 4 Nations Graded International Tournament in Cardiff last weekend 🏆 https://t.co/Gcre3N7JQw
— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) July 7, 2022
Last year Kumar won her first international medal at the Li-Ning Zagreb U17 Open as she reached the final and will have another opportunity to measure herself against Europe’s best young athletes this summer.
Kumar will be supported by Josh Neil from Badminton Scotland who will act as Team GB’s Team Leader for badminton.
He said: “I am delighted to have been selected as the Team Leader for badminton at the European Youth Olympic Festival for Team GB.
“We have chosen two players who have shown they are capable of competing at this level of event and I look forward to working with them and helping them learn from the experience.”
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For full details and the badminton schedule, visit: Badminton (birmingham2022.com)
