Badminton Olympian aims to open facility for training in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Hitting, smashing, and flicking on the court is no challenge for Beiwen Zhang who has lived in Las Vegas for over a decade.

She just returned from the Olympics in Paris, competing in the sport of badminton.

“That’s the highest stage and I am actually pretty surprised with my performance even after losing in round 16,” Beiwen Zhang said.

While she has her racket and gear, she’s not able to train in Las Vegas.

“Right now I am not playing badminton in Las Vegas even when I am playing I would just play for fun at UNLV,” she said.

She’s without a gym to play in or even a place to practice professionally after the only dedicated facility LV Badminton closed its doors and not just any gym will do.

Even gyms at local recreation centers are not tall enough for badminton professional athletes and even the AC affects the game.

“For badminton, it’s at least 25 feet high. A consistent wind going on it’s really hard to play,” Zhang explained.

Now she’s on a mission to help bring a badminton facility to the Las Vegas valley.

“We never really stopped finding a facility but they are not renting for badminton so we are trying to build but it costs millions,” she said.

A facility years in the making but hopefully in time for the next Olympics.

“I hope people can see this sport as the future and indoor sports is really good for Vegas,” she added.

Badminton players in Las Vegas play outdoors or at UNLV and places like Desert Breeze Community Center but they’re hoping a facility becomes a reality soon.

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