Albany 2026: Joey Wang steals the show as the Albany Bicentenary Badminton Tournament brings the sport to life

It was quite a weekend for Joey Wang as the Perth-based shuttler claimed two open finals at the Albany Bicentenary Badminton Tournament.

Wang took the men’s singles and doubles crowns at the event which attracted 174 competitors from across the State and beyond and was the first ranking tournament to be held in the Great Southern.

It was also part of the bumper calendar of Albany 2026 events.

The Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre hosted the biggest badminton event in WA this year on February 28 and March 1, with participants competing for a share of a $22,000 prize fund.

The field included several players who have represented Australia as well as Tokyo Paralympian Caitlin Dransfield who is aiming for an Olympic double at Los Angeles 2028.

It was a key competition in the Perth Badminton Arena team’s calendar but there was also local representation with Great Southern players making good progress in the lower grades.

Wang’s main rival in the high-standard open events was Perth’s Julian Lee who reached all three finals but was able to claim only the mixed doubles.

A demanding two-day schedule took its toll on Lee but it took Wang three shirts and two bananas to see him off, eventually triumphing 21-19, 21-18 in a hectic men’s singles final.

The men’s doubles showpiece was a humdinger with Wang teaming up with Kai Teoh to edge Lee and Claviene Ee 21-13, 24-26, 21-17.

Lee travelled home with one title, partnering Dharshinie Vasigaran to the mixed doubles crown, beating Timothy Sentosa and Joanne Zheng 21-12, 21-14 in a contest which featured sparkling rallies and fabulous net play from Vasigaran.

Bernice Teoh won the women’s singles beating 16-year-old Mimi Ngo despite dropping the middle game.

She won 21-12, 14-21, 21-18, closing out the match at the third time of asking.

Ngo gained revenge in the women’s doubles, teaming up with Seryna Xiao to see off Teoh and Vasigaran 21-14, 21-19.

Katelyn Colley’s father is Albany-born and she has family in the city.

Now based in Perth, she teamed up with Viet Truong to win the D-grade mixed doubles.

Like Dransfield, Colley is ranked in para badminton’s world top 20 and hopes to make the Australian Paralympic team in 2028.

She took up the sport because she said it was “the only sport people of short stature can play to a high level”.

She and Truong beat Yang Li and Guangyi Wang in their mixed final 18-21, 21-9, 21-13.

Albany’s Anton Cimagala and Hermar Rosquillo reached the D-grade men’s doubles final but were beaten by the wily pair of Kelvin Lee and Sok Teoh.

Lee and Sok Teoh’s right-hand, left-hand combination foxed the Albany pair who lost two tight games 21-17, 21-18.

Cimagala also reached the semifinal of the D-grade singles but suffered a narrow, three-game loss to Yang Li.

Li eventually closed out the match 21-11, 19-21, 23-21 but lost the final to Viet Truong.