Malaysian badminton team train in Ehime for Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- Ehime prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Badminton Association of Malaysia in July this year to hold training camps for the national team in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

From Aug 20 – Aug 27, an eight-day camp was held for the senior and junior Malaysian badminton teams, with the Ehime Prefecture Badminton Association and some local high school students lending support.

Thanks to trainers, sports dieticians and other specialists at the camp, the athletes were able to train well.

The Malaysian players took part in friendly matches with some of Ehime's select badminton players and offered lessons to younger players. 

They also took some time out to visit the oldest hot spring in Japan, Dogo Onsen, and enjoyed cycling on the Shimanami Kaido road linked by 10 bridges and connecting Ehime with Hiroshima prefecture on Honshu island across the sea.

The senior and junior teams will be back in Ehime in 2019 for a two-week training camp, while in 2020, select members of the national team will be coming before the start of the Olympics in July.

For information on Ehime prefecture, visit https://www.visitehimejapan.com.

-- BERNAMA