PRESS RELEASE
Press Release
May 3, 2016 / Badminton Ontario
The Province’s collaboration with Black Knight deemed a Triumph
On the heels of another successful 2015-16 season, Badminton Ontario would like to thank Black Knight for its ongoing support.
Established right here in Canada in 1976, Black Knight has a long history of supporting badminton athletes. Following an impressive path of transformation and innovation, Black Knight has been the first to hit the market with crucial progressive developments in the sport. With products like full graphite shafts, true wide body frames, TurboFlex shafts, the Knight Trainer, and more, the company has been revolutionizing badminton in Canada and around the globe for forty years.
Badminton Ontario’s Sarah Miller had a chance to speak to Black Knight’s General Manager, Allan Sklar, about just how instrumental the company has been in growing the game of badminton.
“This was our eighth year of sponsorship for the junior circuit here in Ontario. In fact, we’ve been doing a lot of things with Badminton Ontario since about 1980. The strength of the two circuits in Ontario just brings so many players out. Every tournament I go to, there’s so many numbers, so much enthusiasm, and so many coaches coming in from all over the province. This is just a really great platform for badminton.”
Sklar elaborates by speaking openly about one of Black Knight’s philosophies, saying that anything they can do for the sport will eventually, in turn, be good for the business. With what appears to be a never-ending passion for badminton, Sklar speaks openly about his love for badminton. It is one he has been playing for 55 years.
“Each year, in many ways, is a lot like the year before, and the year before that. You go back out into the field, you support a lot of the same people. We look at the badminton community, and see where we can engage with it, and we put new products in front of people. And we try to have new and exciting things to bring out that will help the sport.”
Sklar hopes that this year will be one of the most exciting yet. With a new and revolutionary piece of badminton training equipment that the company is aiming to launch this fall, things are looking better than ever for Black Knight. Set to launch for the fall of 2016, the new Knight Trainer Pro is reportedly going to be an enormous step forward when it comes to giving people the opportunity to learn not only basic badminton skills much faster, but it will also assist elite players in getting to a much higher level because of what it offers in the way of training.
“We’ve recently developed (the Knight Trainer Pro). This is a version that is far more extensive and complete. People can go on court and in two or three hours receive hundreds of shuttlecocks and use that machine’s consistency and patience – because machines don’t lose patience, they just keep beating you. But this new machine is almost like putting another person on the other side of the court.”
Badminton Ontario’s Vice President, Dave Kumar, speaks to the benefit of the organization having partnered with a company as successful as Black Knight.
“So many of our athletes really like their products. There are also really only two or three companies that provide these kinds of badminton birds. Black Knight gives us complimentary birds, and we ask for (to purchase) prizes – things like t-shirts, jackets, strings, and grips at a reduced rate. That way they get some business from us, from our districts, and from our clubs. They’re one of the very best in the world when it comes to supplies, and that really appealed to us. Plus, their customer service is very, very good.”
A major brand in North America and around the world, Badminton Ontario considers itself very fortunate to have been given another opportunity to team with Black Knight for the 2015-16 season. This has been, after all, a partnership that is beneficial to badminton athletes of all levels. It is also one that will help the sport to grow and succeed for years to come.
Badminton Ontario (BON) is a not for profit amateur sport organization responsible for badminton within the province of Ontario. Badminton Ontario’s vision is to connect with all athletes participating in badminton in Ontario, inspire athletes to cherish badminton and establish it as their sport for life.
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For more information contact: Sarah Miller, Badminton Ontario, cell (905) 749-0361 or e-mail saraheamiller@sympatico.ca
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