Tighten your shoelaces badminton fans, Ontario’s finest collegiate badminton players from the East Region will take to the Collège Borèal courts in Sudbury this weekend, looking to earn a berth into the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championships. The Regional Championship event will run over two days, February 5th and 6th.

The East Regional Championships will gather student-athletes from the host Collège Borèal as well as Cambrian College (Sudbury), Centennial College (Scarborough), Fleming College (Lindsay), George Brown College (Toronto), Georgian College (Barrie), St. Lawrence College (Brockville) and St. Lawrence College (Cornwall). Players will compete in five events including: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The top three teams from each event will advance to the OCAA Badminton Championships, hosted by St. Clair College in Windsor, ON from February 19-20, 2010.

Cambrian has dominated team badminton for the past several years and with a strong team returning, including 2009 OCAA Women’s Player of the Year Jody Carruthers and OCAA Mixed Doubles champions Mike Del Fante and Kayla Odorizzi, the Golden Shield will look to defend their regional title this weekend.

But, this year the depth in the East Region could see a formidable challenge and potentially a new Regional Champion crowned.

The George Brown Huskies will look to reel in the Golden Shield as they field a team full of talent including the return of men’s singles finalist Dayvon Reid. Muhammad Usama, a regional bronze medalist from last season in men’s singles, will also provide depth for the downtown Toronto school. Tim Chiu may be the horse to upset the apple cart as he has been dominant in his debut for the Huskies this season in each event he has participated in, including a double gold at the Fanshawe Invitational. Last season, the Huskies team managed to finish in the runner-up position at the East Regional Championship.

Centennial College will also be sending out a solid team of potentials headed up by third year veteran Simon Yip. Yip lost his partner from one year ago this season, but 2010 is a new year and the men’s doubles provincial silver medalist from a year ago will reestablish himself as a contender in his chosen division. Rookie Ryan Lue could be the player to fill Yip’s void. The pair have already finished with a silver medal at the Fanshawe Invitational this season.

The Georgian Grizzlies and host Collège Borèal will also look to crack into the top three.