The TV Refrath badminton team enters the upcoming 18th Badminton-Bundesliga season with a strict focus on returning to the top four, according to the club’s announced season plans. After finishing fifth and twice sixth in the final table of the past three seasons following their third-place finish in Saarbrücken in 2023—the Bergisch Gladbach club aims to secure a spot in the April 2027 Final Four, as reported by the Bürgerportal Bergisch Gladbach.
Format Changes and the Road to the Final Four
The Badminton-Bundesliga features a streamlined seven-team league format. According to the club’s preview, this setup removes the quarterfinal round, allowing the top four ranked teams in the regular season standings to qualify directly for the Final Four tournament scheduled for April 2027. For TV Refrath, the configuration places immediate importance on early-season fixtures to establish a position near the top of the table.
Roster Stability and Key Additions
Team manager Heinz Kelzenberg’s squad enters the new campaign with minimal roster turnover, anchored by the return of top player Fabian Roth. Roth missed the entirety of the previous season due to injury but is fully fit and available for the opening fixture, according to team announcements. The men’s singles lineup features the Netherlands’ Adith Karthikeyan Priya and Berlin-born Brian Holtschke, with Denmark’s David Kim positioned as an alternate option. In men’s doubles, England’s Alex Green teams up with German national players Jan Colin Völker and Malik Bourakkadi. Club product Marcello Kausemann enters his second top-flight season, complemented by the squad’s sole new signing, young English player Harry Wakefield. The women’s roster relies on Miranda Wilson and Florentine Schöffski in singles, alongside Leona Michalski and Selin Hübsch in doubles, forming a core of German top players.
Opening Schedule and Early Tests
TV Refrath opens its 18th Bundesliga campaign on September 27 at 3:00 PM with a home match against the 1st BV Mülheim. The opening stretch continues on October 10 with an away fixture against Blau-Weiß Wittorf-Neumünster. Team manager Heinz Kelzenberg noted that a dropped result in that specific fixture during the previous season cost his squad a shot at the Final Four. Securing early victories remains critical before facing contenders from Dortelweil and Bischmisheim.
Reserves and Youth Development
The club’s second team begins its campaign a day earlier on September 26 at 3:00 PM, hosting SpVg Sterkrade-Nord. Averaging under 22 years of age, the reserve squad stands as the youngest in the league. The lineup features 17-year-old youth national player Milan Zeisig alongside Elias Beckmann in men’s singles, with Corvin Schmitz returning from the third-tier team into the Bundesliga reserve roster. Bennet Peters, Fynn Ohliger, Philipp Euler, and Fritz Binus staff the doubles positions. Annika Horbach teams up with youth national players Kalliope Hermel and Maike Iffland on the women’s side, while Dutch number-one singles player Flora Wang is slated to make at least eight appearances to bolster the team.
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