Badminton Club Zadar Achieves Historic Success at the Croatian Cup – First U13 Medal in Club History

Badminton Club Zadar marked an important milestone at the Croatian Cup 2026 in Zagreb, held on September 5th and 6th, where young athlete Lea Šimurina competed in U15 doubles and U13 singles & doubles. Her steady performance across all categories resulted in a silver medal in U13 doubles — the first Croatian Cup medal for the club in the U13 age group.

U15 Doubles – Strong Effort in an Older Category

Although Lea’s main category is U13, she also competed in U15 doubles with partner Katja Pavlić (BK Zagreb Maksimir). Their match against Karla Cestar & Tia Šamija was one of the highlights, showing good teamwork and persistence. They later secured a solid win over Gabriela Laptoš & Hana Tstenjak, proving they could hold their own even against older opponents.

U13 Singles – Quarterfinal Loss to the Eventual Winner

In U13 singles, Lea opened the tournament with confident wins and reached the quarterfinals. Her only loss came against Jana Medvarić, the number‑two seed and eventual tournament winner. Lea finished the event in 5th place, with a record of three wins and one loss, showing reliable and consistent play throughout the day.

U13 Doubles – Silver Medal and a Historic Achievement

The standout result came in U13 doubles, where Lea and Katja delivered a well‑coordinated and composed performance.

A Partnership Across Two Cities

Lea (Zadar) and Katja (Zagreb) train in different cities and have played only two tournaments together before this Croatian Cup:

Zagreb badminton league in June, 2026
TEM Slovenia Youth International, 28 – 30 August, 2026

Despite limited shared training time, their cooperation improved match by match.

Road to the Final

They progressed confidently through the draw, including a clear semifinal win over Mara Biočić & Nina Grbavac, the second‑seeded pair.

Final Against the Top Seeds

In the final, they faced Jana Medvarić & Margareta Tot, a pair from the same club who train together regularly. Lea and Katja kept the match competitive from start to finish, losing by narrow margins: 21–18, 21–19

Their silver medal marks the first Croatian Cup medal for Badminton Club Zadar in the U13 category, an important achievement for the club’s youth program.

Acknowledgments

Coach Silvio Jurčić (BK Zagreb Maksimir)

We thank coach Silvio Jurčić, who hosted Lea for a week of training in Zagreb. Practicing with BK Maksimir players gave her valuable experience that contributed to her performance and the silver medal in U13 doubles.

Partner Appreciation – Katja Pavlić

A warm thank‑you to Katja Pavlić for her teamwork and commitment. Katja also earned a bronze medal in U13 singles, and we wish her continued success in upcoming competitions.

Looking Ahead

Lea’s results — especially the club’s first U13 Croatian Cup medal — represent an encouraging step forward for Badminton Club Zadar. The tournament showed steady progress, good cooperation in doubles, and readiness to take on stronger challenges in future events.