Africa’s top badminton players – among them three North-West University (NWU) students – converged on the John Barrable Hall in Benoni on the East Rand from 13 to 19 February to determine who wields a badminton racket the best of them all.

The event was the All Africa Badminton Championships and the NWU students were Deidré Jordaan, Diané Olivier and Jarred Elliot.

Jordaan, no stranger to posing on podiums the world over, won gold in the women’s doubles with teammate Amy Ackermann, a matric pupil from St Dunstans College in Benoni. They were seeded second for the tournament. The South Africans beat their Nigerian counterparts 21–19 and 21–12 in the final.

According to Johann Sauer, sports manager at the NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus, the duo is currently ranked 77th in the world. “They will probably move up a few places thanks to the win, which is important, as they need to be in the top 50 if they wish to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France.”

Jordaan’s medal tally was not done yet. She also won bronze in the mixed doubles with her partner, Robert White.

In the men’s doubles, the NWU’s Jarred Elliott won gold with teammate Robert Summers after they beat the four-time champions, Egypt, in three sets before trumping Algeria 21–13 and 21–17 in the final.

It is a splendid achievement by a group of dedicated athletes, and it once again shows that the NWU is a leader in a host of sports codes.

The terrific trio