Current State of Singapore Badminton

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Loh, Jan 9, 2009.

  1. OneToughBirdie

    OneToughBirdie Regular Member

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    I will meet up with you guys one of these days...my in-laws are in Spore and MAS...great city though.
     
  2. gitee

    gitee Regular Member

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    What I heard from some of the players is this The difference between Ronald's case and Riky's case is the current management under that Pang CEO is that Pang is not passionate about sports. He care more for himself and his sidekick staff in SBA office than for players.
     
  3. gitee

    gitee Regular Member

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    Oh ...it's just that her draw in Malaysia Open is lucky ,... see how she was beaten by Tine Rasmussen compared to Aiying who nearly upset Tine.
     
  4. pjswift

    pjswift Regular Member

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    I believe Zhang Beiwen defeated Xing Ai Ying to win a title in Vietnam? Regular competitive exposure(meaning playing against different types of opponents, not necessarily in tournaments) is usually a faster way to learn than continuous training without 'testing'.Training usually hones skills more;competitive exposure hones tactics better.If both players are similar level and equal fitness, it's usually the tactics that decides the winner.
     
  5. gitee

    gitee Regular Member

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    Well, I heard from the vietnam organizer then that Aiying was sick after her 1st rd match.
     
  6. pjswift

    pjswift Regular Member

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    oops, ok then I was wrong. That makes Aiying the real champion, and what mental fortitude,playing a further 5 matches while ill.
     
  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    I don't think it is fair to say those negative things about the new CEO. Give him more time to prove himself.

    All we know is that Singapore currently has no more respectable team to challenge others in the region with the spate of player resignations recently. The SBA is now in a difficult position to even put up a creditable team for the SEA Games with its present crop of players who are Singapore citizens. Yet Singapore badminton will not want to drop out from the SEA Games if possible since sports participation is encouraged at the highest level and it is gearing up for the Youth Olympics 2010 as the host country.

    So how can we blame the CEO of not finding solutions to beef up the Singapore team? One possible way for him is to speed up the citizenship requirements for some talented FTs who are still not yet citizens. For then such FTs could be better prepared for officials games like the SEA Games, etc. It is better than having to spend the time, effort and resources on training them and later being told they are not interested in becoming citizens. Singapore would be looked upon as being foolish on such FTs who are not interested in the end. Mind you, it was reported that such FTs have been advised very early that they will be called upon to become citizens in due course if they qualify. :(
     
  8. zuihoujueding

    zuihoujueding Regular Member

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    trading foreign talents using citizenship is so shameful. Especially towards local singaporeans, making them feel useless. If it takes more time to train a less talented local to play professionally, so be it. At least u know you are supporting a home grown hero, not someone from overseas with a singaporean passport.

    personally i think its fine to employ talented coaches but not player. Local singaporeans can make it big also, with more support from SBA.
     
  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Well, we have heard and discussed this many times before and unfortunately do not share your opinion. ;)

    Let me ask you, how long has badminton been played in Australia? How many of your Australian national players have won the SS titles? :rolleyes:

    Your name is rather "un"Australian. If so what better right do you have to criticise FTs who choose to become citizens of other countries? :D
     
  10. OneToughBirdie

    OneToughBirdie Regular Member

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    LOH, I am with you on this. If you can't find local talents to compete, nothing wrong to import FT...someone got to get the job done. Now, if only I can rewind back time to the days when I am young and good-looking and if I have LD talent, I sure readily cross the causeway with my wooden racket and represent Spore. Baddy is a business and Spore is a rich nation looking for a baddy hero to conquer the world, wait a bit, let's conquer MAS first. With big Spore bucks for OLG gold and maybe can luck up with one of those high flying SIA Singapore girls...the world is at your feet:D:p
     
  11. OneToughBirdie

    OneToughBirdie Regular Member

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    Just check with the locals how they feel about TL in swimming and the WR#2 women paddy team. I am quite sure the majority will be very proud of their achievements rather be resentful or shameful. Also, importing FT, Spore is doing baddy game a huge favor...Think of how many supper talented CH and INA players who would otherwise have no hope of playing in WC, OLY, etc now could have chance to compete and the reward is good. Spore is a developed nation, I would consider Spore a great place to call home as compared to many nations in Asia. I really enjoy visiting Spore when I come home to MAS on visit. I have many relatives residing in Spore, only thing is they brought their spouses over, not hooking up with those SIA Spore girls (the SIA commercials really captivate me as a kid growing up in MAS:D:p;)) Look again at FT in HK, not bad for WC and ZM, Xu in germany, Pi in France...FT boleh!!!:D:p
     
  12. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Why can't Singapore issue a Singapore passport to a FT who has already qualified as a permanent resident? Or they can amend the law to allow dual citizenship. There are some countries that allow dual citizenship, either openly or with one eye closed like in the US.
    Also how much did Ronald Susilo help to improve the standard of badminton among the locals? If FTs do not build up local talent to play with them or even to replace them during the time they were playing for Singapore, then you will end up chasing FT replacements when the old ones leave the scene.
     
  13. pjswift

    pjswift Regular Member

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    Loh,that was just an opinion, nothing about rights or being qualified to comment.This is a forum, a discussion where the more varied the opinions, the richer it may grow.This forum is not an election where one then may have to take sides.In fact, taking sides is a bad idea to promote a discussion.
    We all have different opinions because of different knowledge level on the topic,different background,different experiences(especially emotional) which colour our attitudes which predispose us to certain biases. There's nothing wrong with that.There's no right or wrong opinion. But it tells us about the person and helps us to understand the person(if one so wishes) No need to behave so territorial about the right to judge Spore's way of solving problems.
    For example, if anyone wants to know about Spore here, you would be the best person to 'sell' Spore because you are so passionate about it.You are easily Spore's best ambassador and that's great.
    I won't be but I can tell what's great about Spore:eek:ur fantastic Prime Minister and some(not all) of his hot Ministers and our superb, first class medical care.However our food centre and restaurant fare is dreadful,both in terms of quality and price when compared to KL(MAS).It's so dreadful I have reserved my dining out budget for KL.(Sorry, off topic)
    The fact that AUS badminton hardly figures does not mean there's no talent.More an indication of lack of money to start with.ENG may start to show results because they have committed some budget to help deliver in OG2012.CHN, KOR and MAS have the money to deliver.I can't imagine how INA would sweep if they have unlimited budget like CHN.
    But Spore is going under because of little money aggravating possibly bad management decisions. The fact that so many 'longtime' players left suggest something's amiss about the top.There's otherwise no good reason for both Kendrick and Susilo to go into hibernation.Maybe when there's a change of chiefs, they will return from their books.But I can't see how Kendrick's gonna go back if Susilo doesn't. Who's he gonna spar with?
     
  14. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Speak for yourself and don't try to speak for and on behalf of others and give all sorts of reasons which may just be guesswork. For all you know you're making them look bad.

    If they feel I have been unfair to them, let them speak for themselves. And stay within the topic and don't stray unnecessarily, please.
     
  15. pjswift

    pjswift Regular Member

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    Obviously I speak for myself and no one else. And I do a lot of analysis and guesswork and then make a conclusion (or decision). Important point to note is no one is forced to believe me.(In business,it's not uncommon for important decisions to be made based on 'guesstimates' because the full facts may not be available.)
    The part about opinions is just out of basic psychology course.No mystery to it.
    If you feel strongly that my rationale makes SBA chiefs look bad, then why not offer a counter view to make them look good.
    I maintain the view that not winning any SS does not mean a country's talent is short. There may be talent which may be undiscovered because there is no opportunity for that to surface for lack of money.Kevin Cordon of Guatemala showed that he is a talent because he gave BCL a fright in OG08 in spite of his highly limited chances to excel.Now imagine if he had opportunities to develop and compete regularly on a CHN budget.Without enough opportunities, it's premature to judge a player's limit.
     
  16. cheemao

    cheemao Regular Member

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    Shameful? Why so? Singapore is not the only country using FT in sports and this FT issue revolves around the supply and demand theory. In Singapore's case, it gives the FT a platform to showcase their talents on the international stage, a chance they might never get in their home country. It is a win-win situation for both. FT cannot force Singapore to accept them nor can Singapore force them to accept citizenship as seen in the case of Riky. Both parties have the freedom of choice.

    Feel useless? How so? If an athlete feels so when a FT is recruited into his sport, then he/she has a loser's mentality. Instead the athlete should think 'I am going to work doubly hard and displace the FT. I am going to show that I am much better and the management is wrong to bring the FT in.’ For the average Singaporean, I guess they will feel more useless if they can't put food on the dinner table. Your words are pretty harsh and I wonder where you are coming from.

    Permanent Resident and Singapore Citizen are 2 different entities with different benefits accorded to them in the country

    Different countries adopt policies according to their needs. What work for other countries and the US might not work for Singapore. Allowing dual citizenships will bring a slew of problems for Singapore and if Singapore gives on special cases, the mass will be unhappy with the double standards. What's more dual citizenship is an issue which will threaten the existence of Singapore. All the years, the government has been trying hard to iron out the differences, integrating the people and bonding them towards a common destiny. Should dual citizenship be allowed, all these hard work will be undone and there will be a divide with the mono and dual citizens. And there is the issue of National Service for Singapore citizens which will be further complicated by dual citizenship
     
    #56 cheemao, Feb 24, 2009
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2009
  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    SBA did all it could re Riky's No to citizenship

    The Straits Times
    February 24 2009

    A reply in the "Forum" from:

    Edwin Pang
    CEO
    Singapore Badminton Association (SBA)

    I thank Mr Murali Sharma and Mr Ace Kindred Cheong for their views last Wednesday ("Focus on local talent"). Most of their points were addressed in The Straits Times's Sport section that day.

    We assure Mr Cheong that ample notice was given to former national player Riky Widianto and his father, from the time Riky was invited to join the national team almost four years ago, to deliberate on his citizenship application so he could represent Singapore in major tournaments. Further indications of the plan were SBA's support for his courses, competitions, permanent residence application and the citizenship application process which started a year ago.

    When Riky refused to visit the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, we took pains to persuade him to reconsider, informing him of means, beyond salaries, to assist players financially through our Player Development Fund, player performance cash incentives and our allowing players to accept individual sponsorships from this year (which Riky took up).

    However, he still preferred to play in Indonesia and we had to advise him to resign as further delay could lose him his alternative career opportunity and jeopardise the chances of his local-born doubles partners competing in the coming SEA Games and other tournaments. Moreover, financial prudence dictated that we channel our limited resources to other shuttlers committed to competing for Singapore.

    We are sorry to lose a promising shuttler, but more than skills matter in representing our nation to compete against the world's best. Pride in donning the nation's colours and determination and commitment to train hard and fight hard are also needed.

    These qualities enable our young foreign-born citizen-shuttlers to keep Singapore's flag flying: Olympic quarter-finalists Jiang Yanmei, Li Yujia and Ronald Susilo (also a Japan Open winner), Commonwealth Games champion Li Li, our SEA Games winning women's team, and last year's World U-19 champions Fu Mingtian and Yao Lei, and Vietnam Open winner Zhang Beiwen.

    Thus, even as we asssure Mr Sharma that efforts to develop foreign-born talent were not in vain, we are glad to share that SBA has established a National Senior Team 2 comprising local-born athletes, mainly Singapore Sports School (SSS) graduates; and the National Youth Badminton Academy at SSS. National Team 1 also has many local-born players such as SEA Games silver medallist Kendrick Lee, up-and-coming Derek Wong, Ashton Chen and Riky's ex-doubles partners Terry Yeo and Vanessa Neo.

    Ultimately, SBA endeavours to be player-centric, giving its utmost support to both local and foreign-born athletes committed to a common cause of serving our nation.
     
  18. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Passing of the Torch

    The Straits Times
    March 3 2009

    Stalwarts gone, S'pore will field new-look badminton team

    By Terrence Voon


    When the All-England Championships get underway today, it will signal the end of an era for Singapore badminton - and the beginning of a new one of young shuttlers.

    Missing from the team list are stalwarts like Ronald Susilo and Kendrick Lee, who are on the verge of retirement after showing much early potential.

    Women's doubles specialists Li Yujia, 26, and Jiang Yanmei, 28, are also out, with the latter having retired.

    Singapore's best men's doubles pair, Hendri Saputra, 27, and Hendra Wijaya, 23, the 2007 South-east Asia Games bronze medallists, have been left out by the coaches.

    Their absence points to a tough time at one of the world's oldest and most prestigious tournaments, where Singapore will not be fielding a player in the men's singles for the first time since 2000.

    Said Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) high performance manager Jim Hui: "This is a squad in transition.

    "As far as results are concerned, we have not pressured them. The most important thing is to give them exposure."

    Susilo, Singapore's brightest hope since four-time All-England champion Wong Peng Soon in the 1950's, will call time on his career next year without fulfilling much of his promise.

    The 29-year-old achieved his highest world ranking of No. 6 after winning the 2004 Japan Open. He also ousted then-world champion Lin Dan en route to the quarter-finals of the Olympics that year.

    Lee, his would-be successor, was the 2002 World Junior runner-up. But, apart from winning the 2004 US Open and a silver at the 2007 SEA Games, the one-time world No. 14 did not have much success.

    Still only 24, he has decided that his studies come first.

    In their place, a new breed of youngsters are taking their first steps on the big stage - starting this week. Six of the seven-member squad will be making their All-England debut.

    They include Thai-born youngster Chayut Triyachart, 19, who will partner Shinta Mulia Sari, 20, in the mixed doubles.

    Yao Lei, 18, who won the women's doubles gold with Fu Mingtian at last year's World Junior Championships, is partnering Shinta this time round.

    The other women's pair are Vanessa Neo, 22, and Frances Liu, 24.

    In the women's singles, Fu, 18, will have to negotiate the qualfying rounds.

    Xing Aiying, only 19 but arguably the most experienced player in the squad, takes her place in the main draw. She and the pairing of Yao and Shinta are the only players in the world's top 50.

    In contrast, last year's four-member squad were all ranked in the top 50.

    "This is a young team," said Hui. "Given time, they have a good chance of being as good as their predecessors."

    The early signs, however, are not encouraging. The same line-up featured at last weeks's German Open and only the Yao-Chinta pairing progressed beyond the round of 16.

    To make matters worse, the All-England draw has not been kind to Xing. Her first-round tie tomorrow will be against top seed and world No. 1 Tine Rasmussen of Denmark, an opponent she has never beaten in the three previous attempts.

    But Xing, speaking on behalf of her young teammates, is not about to throw in the towel.

    She said: "We may not have the experience of our seniors, but we have plenty of spirit."
     
  19. Superstar

    Superstar Regular Member

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    Local Talent

    Sigh, where is our local born talent, forgotten or what!!! Spoke to a few of them and aware that SBA is emphazing on FT. I don't mind FT but still prefer local ones.................
     
  20. ctjcad

    ctjcad Regular Member

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