Petra Maričić came last year to Zadar to study in University of Zadar. even before she moved to Zadar, she contacted us and showed interest to play and train at Badminton Zadar. The first day she came, I remember asking her, ” Do you love badminton or you just like to hit the shuttle?”. She answered she loves badminton. And that set the tone of our engagement. She started training with us and in last 6 months has participated in tournaments in Zadar, Split and Zagreb.
On 15.2.2020, she participated in MaxServus in Zagreb. But a new court, playing with new shuttles and being nervous are not easy to handle on their own, let alone all-together. She did not lose her spirit and the very next weekend i.e. 22.2.2020 participated in yet another tournament in Zagreb organized for university students by SC Zagreb. Finally the commitment paid off and she won gold at the tournament. Check out the post from organizator at the end for more details and photos.
For us as a club, who is trying to promote competitive badminton in Zadar, the message she gave after winning was even more important. She said, ” This time I was more at peace with myself, less nervous and made far less errors in my game”. This is important for all those who are looking to participate in tournaments. It takes time to settle your nerves, it takes time to get used to new conditions and environment. One needs to stay focussed and persistent to get pass the initial struggle. Every time we participate in a tournament, it takes us a step further in our game, our experience and towards the podium.
This weekend on 29.2.2020, she plans to play in ADA Liga in Sarajevo. She will be the first player not just from Badminton Zadar, but from Zadar city to participate in ADA Liga. We wish her good luck.