Y

oung badminton talents throughout the nation will participate in tryouts for a spot at a free training camp ' and the chance to become future stars.

The tryouts, scheduled for June 28 to 30, will be hosted by badminton club PB Djarum to promote the sustainable development of the sport.

Registration has been open since May 16 and will close on June 27. Hopefuls can register at the club's website, pbdjarum.org, or at the club's headquarters in Kudus, Central Java.

'It has been part of our commitment to keep looking for new talents through annual tryouts,' Yoppy Rosimin, sports program director of the Djarum Foundation, told reporters here on Thursday.

'We welcome all badminton enthusiasts throughout the nation to take part,' Yoppy added.

More than 1,300 people were expected to join the tryouts this year, up from 1,037 last year.

Those who make the cut will join 160 shuttlers currently at the training camp.

While recruitment targets children between 10 and 15, those outside that range with exceptional skills could also apply, according to Yoppy.

'We do not set any target on how many trainees are to be recruited from the tryouts. It depends on the quality of the athletes,' Yoppy said.

According to team manager Fung Permadi, PB Djarum would look for athletes who possessed good basic technique, a sense of strategy and fine instincts on the court.

'They will face three phases in the tryouts. First is a 10-minute game, just to assess their technique and instinct.

Then they will undergo a 20-minute game before we try them out with a full game,' Fung said.

Since its establishment in 1969, the club has produced many big names in national and international badminton, including two-time world champion Christian Hadinata, Sudirman Cup winner Eddy Hartono Arby and Olympic gold medalist Alan Budikusuma.

Some of the club's alumni will compete for the national squad at the Sudirman Cup 2013, which will be held from May 19 to 26 in Malaysia, including Tontowi Ahmad, Mohammad Ahsan, Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka, Fran Kurniawan Teng, Muhammad Rijal, Meiliana Jauhari and Debby Susanto.

Edi Subaktiar, club member since 2008, said that joining the club had created many opportunities for him to develop his passion for badminton.

Nineteen-year-old Edi and partner Gloria Emmanuelle Widjaya have won several mixed-doubles events.