Over 80-year-old club is inviting residents to come out and have fun
Selkirk is known for many things but did you know that we have the oldest running rural badminton club in Manitoba? At 83 years old, the Selkirk Badminton Club has been around for generations and wants to welcome residents to join them.
“We started off at the ice hut on the Red River right on the old government wharf. We’ve played through various different places. Memorial Hall, we set up the court there. We set up the court at the Selkirk mental grounds. We’ve set up court, obviously, at the high school and even at Daerwood School at one point,” said Terry Porayko, president of the Selkirk Badminton Club.
Residents can join them from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays at East Selkirk Middle School or on Sundays from 2:45 to 5:30 p.m. at the Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School.
The club sports a mix of residents including strong competitive players in various age groups as well as players who prefer a more casual style.
The Club has even hosted a national event in the 2003 Western Canada Games at the high school.
“That had everybody from right across Western Canada into the high school gym. And it was a very, very noisy affair. It was a pretty well-received event. We did, I think, a decent job of that,” said Porayko.
Up next, they will be hosting the Eastman Open from May 10-12 which is a very competitive tournament for our province’s players. They expect they will be hosting contingents from Thompson, Gillam, Grand Rapids, Brandon, and even a few from Ontario.
“We’re going to have it here at East Selkirk Middle School and at the high school. We need all 10 courts,” he explained.
Porayko says that they don’t just include competitive folks. They cater to to all age groups including youngsters, seniors and everyone in between and provide both coaching or just a chance to get on the court.
“Our players vary in age range from right now seven years old, all the way up to well, I’m 63, and we’ve got older. I see various different levels of competition, some beginners and school kids. I’ve also coached the school team and we do have school team players here. We also have a wide cross-section of other people who play and we’re welcoming of anybody that wants to start playing or come to an advanced level of play,” he said.
Residents should know that this is a pretty easy sport to get into. The cost of a Selkirk Badminton Club membership is reasonable at $25 for the season and residents just need a clean pair of runners as well as a racket to get started.
“We provide the shuttles. We provide the gym space, we organize all that. Just bring your rackets and have a good time,” said Porayko.
He says despite the fun of the sport his favourite part of our local Club is the people.
“We get along and have great comradery with each other. We all hit bonehead shots and we laugh and joke and tease each other. We might drive each other nuts at times but the comradery here is second to none,” said Porayko.
He says that the club is welcoming to everybody. Potential new players can call him at 204-481-3411 or come out to the schools at the times when they are in and give it a go.
“Come check us out. We’re the cheapest bit of fun you can have in the province right now. Twenty-five dollars for a season, and I think we’re at the half-season mark now so, we’re probably going to be $15 for the rest of the year. Come on up. What have you got to lose? It’s cheaper than a movie and you can have a lot more fun doing it,” said Porayko.
