Two young athletes of Cook Islands Badminton Association are celebrating a major milestone after being selected for the prestigious Oceania Tier 2 Development Programme that will be held in Bangkok, Thailand this month.

From a total of six players chosen across the Oceania region, Kaiyin Mataio and Te Pa Tupa will join players from Tahiti, Fiji, the Northern Marianas, and Guam for the programme that will be held from November 25 to December 8.

Both Kaiyin and Te Pa began this year, participating in several international tournaments and training camps.

In August, they competed in the Counties Manukau Under 17 Open in New Zealand, followed by an intensive training camp.

The following month they travelled to Nanchang, China, for the prestigious BWF World Junior Championships, where they competed against the world’s best young players. In October, Kaiyin showcased his skills again at the MAXX North Harbour Open.

Badminton Cook Islands president, Thomas Ngauru expressed his pride, saying, “We are extremely proud of our athletes and their achievements. This has been a team effort with support from the community, schools, families, Badminton Oceania, and BWF.”

He said the events will provide invaluable experience and exposure, further strengthening the players’ abilities and preparing them for the highest levels of competition.

 “Our players have shown exceptional commitment to meeting these criteria, consistently working hard in both training and competition to represent the Cook Islands with pride.”

Meanwhile, the programme, aimed at preparing athletes for international competition and Youth Olympics qualification in 2026 in Senegal, represents a unique opportunity for Cook Islands Badminton talent to step onto the world stage.

Their schedule for 2025 is equally demanding, with planned participation in February’s Victor Oceania Championships in Auckland and the Junior Victor Oceania Championships in Saipan in June, leading up to the BWF World Junior Championships in India in October.

Ngauru added that as Kaiyin and Te Pa work towards potential Youth Olympics qualification, their journey has already inspired the local community and strengthened the growing support for badminton in the Cook Islands.