Dr Idrees Afzal joins #BFLearningMonth 2026 with ‘Strength & Conditioning’, taking place on Wednesday 12th August at 12pm.
Date: Wednesday 12th August, 12-1pm
Guest Speaker: Dr Idrees Afzal (Performance Consultant, Badminton World Federation)
Host: Chris Turner (BF Head of Coaching & Workforce)
This session will introduce coaches to key strength and conditioning principles that can help reduce injury risk and support athlete development. Designed for coaches working across a range of environments, the session focuses on simple, effective strategies that can be easily integrated into training sessions without requiring specialist facilities or equipment.
We’ll explore the role of strength and conditioning in keeping athletes healthy, resilient and available to train and compete. Coaches will gain a better understanding of common injury risk factors and learn how to incorporate preventative exercises into warm-ups, skill sessions and everyday coaching practice.
A particular focus will be placed on portable and affordable equipment that can fit into a kit bag or are easily accessible in any commercial gym. Equipment discussed will include resistance bands, foam rollers, mini-bands, TRX suspension straps, tennis balls and other simple training tools. Moreover, attendees will discover practical exercises that can be used to develop strength, stability, movement quality and injury resilience.
The session will provide coaches with ideas they can immediately apply in their own environments, regardless of age group or level of participation. Whether you’re looking to enhance athlete wellbeing, improve physical preparation, or simply add more variety to your sessions, this workshop will equip you with practical tools and confidence to get started.
Learning objectives:
Idrees Afzal (PhD) is an experienced Strength and Conditioning Coach with a strong background in high-performance sport and youth development, having worked across a range of racket sports and within county cricket. His experience includes supporting and developing athletes competing at elite and international levels.
In addition, Idrees serves as a Performance Consultant for the Badminton World Federation and has previously held academic positions as a Lecturer in Sport Performance and Coaching at both University of Gloucestershire and Leeds Beckett University.
If you have any questions about this session, please contact Chris Turner (BF Head of Coaching and Workforce) via [email protected].
Due to popular demand and feedback from previous iterations of BF Learning Week, BF has now extended the event to a Learning Month. Now named BF Learning Month, this year’s event will be taking place between the 23rd July and 21st August 2026.
It is an annual opportunity for our members and wider community to join online developmental and informative sessions in subjects from coaching to community development.
BF Learning Month is also supporting the first online International Fencing Research Committee (IFRC) Conference. The IFRC welcomes leading researchers, coaches, and practitioners from around the world to explore the latest advances in fencing science and methodology.
A full timetable, updated regularly, can be found here: BF Learning Month 2026
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