Singapore Badminton Scene

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Loh, Jul 2, 2012.

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Coronavirus: Enhanced precautionary measures in place for star-studded Singapore badminton Open
    https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...ures-in-place-for-star-studded-singapore-open

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    Singapore will be sending in a 22-strong contingent, with Loh Kean Yew (above) and Yeo Jia Min looking to secure their Tokyo berths.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
    Published
    Mar 2, 2020, 7:49 pm SGT

    Lorraine Lai

    SINGAPORE - While the coronavirus outbreak has led to numerous high-profile sporting events in Singapore being postponed or cancelled, the Singapore Open is still scheduled to take place from April 7-10.

    There will be enhanced precautionary measures in the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where the world's top shuttlers will converge.

    Almost all the players in the world's top 10 across the five categories - men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles - will be in the Republic.

    World No. 1 Kento Momota is a rare big-name absentee. The Japanese sustained injuries from a car accident in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year and will not be present to defend his men's singles title.

    Prominent shuttlers participating include 2016 Rio Olympics Gold champion Chen Long and India's first badminton world champion P.V. Sindhu.

    Organised by the Singapore Badminton Association, the US$408,000 (S$566,785) Singapore Open is part of the BWF World Tour and is a Super 500 (Level 4) event.

    It is also the last stop in the qualifying window for this year's Olympics and as such, is seen as a key event for the top shuttlers to challenge for points and a ticket to Tokyo 2020.

    With several other Olympic qualifiers cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus, the Singapore Open has become even more important to the shuttlers.

    This week's German Open has been cancelled while an Olympic qualifier in Vietnam was postponed from March to June. The China Masters and Polish Open have also been postponed and dropped from the Olympics qualifying process.

    Former world No. 1 Sindhu, a silver medallist in Rio behind Spain's Carolina Marin, said: "One gold medal is missing, so definitely I will work hard for that."

    Singapore will be sending in a 22-strong contingent, with Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min looking to secure their Tokyo berths.

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    Related Story
    Badminton: Olympic champion Chen Long leads strong Chinese contingent at Singapore Open
    World No. 40 Loh said: "It's crucial to get as much experience under my belt as possible and learning to deal with high pressure situations.

    "I look forward to competing in front of the home crowd at the Singapore Badminton Open this April and with their support, I hope to go as far as possible in the tournament."

    Organisers will be implementing enhanced precautionary measures to ensure the safety of players, spectators and event personnel amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

    This includes temperature checks, increased frequency of disinfecting the venue space and common areas, as well allocation of seats to minimise contact between spectators.

    The Singapore Badminton Open press conference will be a closed-door event.

    Robert Lim, organising chairman of the Singapore Badminton Open 2020 said: "With the world in the grip of this relentless coronavirus, our prime priority is the well-being of the players, our spectators, our event personnel and, of course, Singapore. While we are excited to have the world's best players competing at this year's Singapore Open, we are determinedly focused on having all precautionary measures in place.

    "We are confident of presenting a safe, anxiety-free and exhilarating edition of the Singapore Open."

    Sports fans in Singapore have already seen a couple of marquee events here cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak.

    Football's International Champions Cup and golf's HSBC Women's World Championship have been called off. The Singapore Rugby Sevens in April has been pushed back to October.
     
  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Olympic rehearsal in Singapore for world's top shuttlers
    https://www.tnp.sg/sports/others/olympic-rehearsal-singapore-worlds-top-shuttlers

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    (Above) Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, P.V. Sindhu of India, Chen Long of China and Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan are among those who are heading here next month. PHOTO: AFP
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    Most of world's top-10 players in 5 categories coming for April 7-12 S'pore Badminton Open
    Mar 03, 2020 06:00 am

    A prelude of the battle for Olympic supremacy is set to play out at next month's Singapore Badminton Open.

    Organisers announced yesterday that except for men's world No. 1 Kento Momota - who is out for another two months after undergoing facial surgery - the world's top-10 shuttlers in the men and women's singles and doubles have confirmed their participation in the April 7-12 event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

    All but one of the world's top-10 mixed doubles pairs will be here too.

    India's world No. 6 P.V. Sindhu was one of the latest to sign up for the Singapore competition.

    The 24-year-old, who settled for silver after losing to Carolina Marin at the Rio Olympics final in 2016, said in a media release: "One gold medal is missing, so definitely I will work hard for that.

    "I know it's not going to be easy. I'm currently doing a lot of work on my technique and skill workouts."

    She will be facing a tough challenge from other top shuttlers such as Marin, defending champion Tai Tzu-ying, China's Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao, and Japan's Nozomi Okuhara and Akane Yamaguchi.

    The men's line-up includes world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen, Denmark's Viktor Axelsen and China's Chen Long, Shi Yuqi and Lin Dan.

    China's shuttlers had withdrawn from last month's Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila due to a 14-day quarantine imposed on travellers from the country, following the coronavirus outbreak.

    Most of them have been training in England ahead of next week's All England Open, reported the media in China.

    Singapore Badminton Open's organisers are confident of a "safe" and "anxiety-free" tournament.

    Organising chairman Robert Lim said: "Our prime priority is the well-being of the players, our spectators, our event personnel and, of course, Singapore.

    PRECAUTIONS
    "While we are excited to have the world's best players competing at this year's Singapore Open, we are also determinedly focused on having all precautionary measures in place."

    These include temperature checks before entry to the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and an increased frequency of cleaning and disinfection of the venue and common areas.

    Singapore will be represented by a 22-strong contingent headlined by Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min.

    Loh, who defeated world No. 2 Chou at the Badminton Asia Team Championships, said: "I look forward to competing in front of the home crowd... and with their support, I hope to go as far as possible in the tournament."

    Tickets are available via Apactix. Go to singaporebadmintonopen.com.sg for more information.

    "One gold medal is missing, so definitely I will work hard for that. I know it's not going to be easy."

    - P.V. Sindhu, India's world No. 6 and 2016 Olympic silver medallist
     
  3. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    YONEX All England Open 2020
    Last update: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 10:23 PM
    Badminton World Federation
    | Birmingham, England 3/11/2020 to 3/15/2020


    9:10 PM WS
    Gregoria Mariska TUNJUNG
    -
    YEO Jia Min
    21-12 21-17 0:29
     
  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/badminton/2020/04/10/i-was-shortchanged
    ‘I was shortchanged’


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    PETALING JAYA: Lim Pek Siah (pic) first won the Commonwealth Games women’s doubles title as a player in 2002 and then repeated the feat as a coach in 2018.

    Her reward? Her contract was not renewed.

    Now, as a coach with Singapore Badminton Association, the former national champion has unleashed an explosive criticism of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), accusing them of not caring enough for local coaches.

    Lim Pek Siah has spent more than half of her life in badminton, from being a national player to independent shuttler and a coach at different levels, .

    And the 40-year-old is hurt.

    After five months of working in Singapore, she can see the difference and feels she was far from appreciated by BAM. In fact, she feels she was shortchanged.

    It was in 2018 that Pek Siah and Wong Pei-Tty led the squad to huge success.

    Under them, Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo remained as the national No. 1 but more than that, many other players rose. Among them were Soong Fie Cho-Amelia Anscelly, who went on to win the 2015 Singapore SEA Games gold and 2016 Indian Open gold.

    The women’s doubles department contributed five titles and three runners-up finish, with notable ones being the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold (Vivian Hoo-Chow Mei Kuan); Syed Modi Open, India (Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean); and Macau Open (Vivian-Yap Cheng Wen).

    At the end of the year, she was asked to leave.

    “They could not give me a good answer when I asked why I had to leave. The bonus promised for meeting the KPI (Key Performance Index) was also not given, ” she said.

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    “I felt it was unfair. The salary of the foreign coaches are three times more than the locals. We work just as hard but we are left out when we are not needed.”

    She hoped they will stop their unfair treatment of local coaches.

    Pek Siah was a women’s doubles coach with BAM from 2015-2018. She went back to private coaching before being hired by Singapore BA in November last year, making her the first woman shuttler to take up a top coaching post outside of Malaysia.

    “I’ve been coaching the women’s doubles in Singapore for five months now. The way they do things here are different but at least, they take care of their coaches, ” said Pek Siah, who won the Commonwealth Games gold medal with Ang Li Peng in 2002 in Manchester.

    “Their hiring process is professional and they are clear with their expectations. I am thankful for the opportunity.”

    Pek Siah is sore with the way BAM severed ties with her – four years after former coaching director Morten Frost brought her in to assist Pei Tty.

    “Over the period, there was improvement in the women’s doubles department. Our department met the KPI with several good results but in 2018, my contract was not extended, ” said Pek Siah.

    “I wanted to pour my disappointment on the social media but I was advised by my friends not to. I chose to be quiet then.

    “I was a pioneer with BAM when they started their first academy in 1992. I worked hard as a coach but some leaders there don’t even know my name. It all depends on the leadership, really.”

    Besides Pek Siah, there are few other local coaches plying their trade abroad.

    Among others, Tan Kim Her has coached in England, South Korea, India and Japan, Jeremy Gan is with Japan while Wong Tat Meng is in Scotland.

    “Of course, it’s always nice to coach at home but it’s not the end if we are not needed.

    “I would encourage other local coaches to explore and experience opportunities outside, ” added Pek Siah.
     
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  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.stadiumastro.com/sukan/...dminton-coach-pek-siah-slams-bam/165556Former national badminton coach Pek Siah slams BAM

    Oleh Nicolas Anil 10 April 2020 134

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    Former national women’s doubles coach Lim Pek Siah launched a scathing attack at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), claiming they ditched her without a valid reason despite doing well during her stint.

    Lim was not given a contract extension and made to leave in 2018 after more than three years in the national setup.

    The national body had also decided against retaining the services of three other coaches in what they called a trimming exercise.

    Now, the former Commonwealth Games gold medalist has shed light on her exit.

    "They could not give me a good answer when I asked why I had to leave. The bonus promised for meeting the key performance index (KPI) was also not given.

    "I felt it was unfair. The salary of the foreign coaches are three times more than the locals. We work just as hard but we are left out when we are not needed. I was a pioneer with the BAM when they started their first academy in 1992. I worked hard but some leaders don’t even know my name.

    "It all depends on the leadership really," Lim told The Star.

    The 40-year-old was especially aggrieved at her exit because the women’s doubles team had done well under her and Wong Pei Tty.

    Vivian Hoo-Chow Mei Kuan clinched gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, while the rest also contributed several titles on the World Tour circuit that year.

    Lim was roped in by former technical director Morten Frost in 2015, who also left with a shock resignation in 2017 despite have a five-year contract.

    She is now attached with the Singapore Badminton Association and she feels valued serving there.

    "I’ve been coaching the women’s doubles in Singapore for five months now. The way they do things here are different, but at least they take care of their coaches. Their hiring process is professional and they are clear with their expectations," she added.
     
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  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Past Masters of Indian Badminton: TN Seth — A gentle, graceful sporting champion who was revered by teammates and rivals alike
    Sports Shirish Nadkarni Apr 12, 2020 11:18:06 IST

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    Monday, April 13, 2020


    https://www.firstpost.com/sports/pa...ed-by-teammates-and-rivals-alike-8251331.html

    (An interesting account of the thrilling 1952 Thomas Cup tie between India and US played at Singapore's Happy World Stadium with 10,000 spectators watching)

    Technically, and by following age-old journalistic good practices, one should refer to this particular badminton champion by his full name, Trilok Nath Seth.

    But that would result in consternation on the faces of not just his contemporaries, but also those who followed him into the pantheon of Indian badminton greats. For he was known simply as “TN” A gentle, graceful, exceedingly sporting champion, who was revered by his team members and rivals alike.

    On with the story of the man who won five national titles, including four singles crowns in the years 1952, 1955, ’56 and ’57, effectively punctuating the title run of his greatest rival, Nandu Natekar; and one mixed doubles title in 1951 with Doris H David at a time when foreigners were permitted to play in the Indian Nationals.

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    TN Seth, flanked by Nandu Natekar (left) and Chandrakant Deoras in London. Image procured by Shirish Nadkarni

    The year was 1952; the occasion was the second Thomas Cup series ever to be played; the venues were Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. An Indian badminton player named TN Seth was an integral part of what at the time was termed by Malayan newspapers as “the most unforgettable Thomas Cup match.”

    Four teams had qualified for the inter-zonal finals of the competition to win the trophy donated by Sir George Thomas to anoint the best men’s badminton team at international level.

    Of the teams in the fray, the US came through the Americas, Denmark came through Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region had Malaya and India. India had entered the inter-zonal finals after beating Thailand in Bangkok in its first round, and Australia in the second round in Melbourne by identical 9-0 margins.

    Malaya, as defending champions and 1948 winners of the inaugural edition, were only required to play the Challenge Round, a system similar to that employed in the initial years of Davis Cup tennis.

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    TN Seth (extreme left), seen with the Malayan team in Kuala Lumpur. Image procured by Shirish Nadkarni

    In the three-way elimination tournament-within-a-tournament, the USA received a bye and awaited the winner of the tie between Denmark and India. In what effectively became a semi-final, played in Kuala Lumpur, India notched up a stunning upset by knocking out the fancied European Zone champions Denmark by six matches to three.

    “The Danes were probably adversely affected by the heat and humidity of the Malaysian capital,” said Indian doubles specialist Manoj Guha, who was a member of that Indian squad, and generally played men’s doubles in tandem with Gajanan Hemmady. Guha passed away in Kolkata in August 2018 at the ripe old age of 98.

    “The Malayan newspaper headlines blared: `Under-rated Indians play havoc with formidable Danes.’ “Even the official brochure of the Badminton Association of Malaysia had prematurely published a cover which declared that the zonal final would feature `Denmark versus USA’. They had to scrap those brochures, and get new ones printed in a hurry!”
     
  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    The Indian team flew overnight to Singapore without any rest, to play the zonal final the next day against the US. That was the match which turned out to be the best in the short history of the Thomas Cup until that time, and remains among the best and most strongly fought clashes of all time.


    The US-India tie was played at Singapore’s `Happy World Stadium’, where around 8,000 spectators could be accommodated.


    Having bought tickets at more than double their face value in the black market, they crammed every nook and cranny of the hall in expectation of another great showing by the Indians, following their remarkable triumph over Denmark.


    “When we reached the stadium, we were greeted and cheered by thousands of spectators who had been unable to get tickets, but were waiting for us outside the arena,” recalled Guha, when I met him in January 2011. “The hall was packed to capacity; and, it being the month of June, the temperature inside must have been in excess of 110 degrees Fahrenheit!”


    The Indians started disappointingly, losing all four of the matches on the opening day – the two singles and two doubles.


    But, from the start of the fifth match on the second day, one of the greatest fightbacks in the history of the Cup began.
    India’s captain Davinder Mohan pipped Martin Mendez, America’s top player and ranked No 2 in the world at the time.


    Mendez had accounted for TN on the first day, and had been expected to have the measure of Mohan, but succumbed after a doughty affair.


    Then started the second reverse singles between TN Seth and **** Mitchell, a strapping 6’ 2” left-hander. To everyone’s amazement, TN beat the American, again after three games, simply running away with the decider at 15-8, 5-15, 15-1. The American player quite clearly suffered badly in the stifling heat of the stadium, but it did not bother the Indian quite as much.


    In the third singles, the wily Amrit Lal Dewan, who was given to boasting that he could beat any player in the world on their first meeting with him, performed a miracle by levelling the scores over extra points in the second game after losing the opening game to Joe Alston, professionally an FBI operative, at 15-11.


    “After Amrit took a 7-1 lead in the decider, the American coach, Ken Davidson, who was sitting by the sidelines, signalled Alston to not exert and allow Dewan to win the match, probably to save his own energies for the doubles,” said Guha.


    With India narrowing America’s lead to 3-4, the first doubles started between Davinder Mohan and Henry Ferreira on the one side, and Carl Loveday and Bob Williams on the other.


    The Americans had beaten Guha and TN Seth in straight games on the first day, and were expected to seal the tie for the Americans.


    But the hard-hitting Mohan played like a man possessed; and with the doughty returner Ferreira giving him stout support, the Indians won the first game at 15-10. They were outplayed at 3-15 in the second, but held on by the skin of their teeth in the decider, with Mohan putting everything in the fray, and clinched it by the narrowest of margins at 18-17. India had achieved the impossible, and restored parity at 4-4.


    “The spectators went totally crazy,” Guha remembers. “People had gate-crashed illegally into the stadium, and there must have been around 10,000 of them, screaming and shouting. Some of them barged onto the court to try and chair the winning Indian pair. The management had a tough time controlling the crowd; and, in fact, had to suspend the tie for 40 minutes to get the playing area cleared.”


    In this pressure-cooker atmosphere began the ninth and final match, the second reverse doubles, between TN Seth and Guha, with Mitchell and Alston on the other side of the net. The Indians began in a whirlwind fashion, and took the opening stanza at 15-6.


    “When we took 8-2 and 9-3 leads in the second, Radio Malaya actually announced India as the winner of the tie,” says Guha.


    “Sadly, we somehow lost intensity and the Americans leveled the game at 10-all, and went on to win it.


    “By losing that game, we had lost the opportunity of a lifetime of reaching the Challenge Round to face the champion nation Malaya. Basically, TN was exhausted at having had to play four matches. Our opponents drew away in the decider after the change of ends, and we lost the game, and with it the tie, at 15-7.


     
  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    “The next day, all the Malayan newspapers were full of praise for the Indians with headlines that screamed: `Best match ever played in Thomas Cup series. India, though lost, won the hearts of everybody’. It was thus that we brought India onto the badminton map of the world by finishing third in that series.”


    Finishing third was something that the Indians did in the following series in 1954-55, as well. They extracted retribution from the US for their 1952 defeat, beating the Americans in the zonal semi-final by six matches to three.


    In this tie, Nandu Natekar had replaced Davinder Mohan as India’s premier player, and won both his singles matches. TN, who was by then in his singles prime and was also captain of the team, lost narrowly to Joe Alston at 14-17, 16-17, but beat **** Mitchell for the second time in the Thomas Cup, at 15-7, 8-15, 15-11.


    Guha, who combined better with Gajanan Hemmady than he had with TN, notched up two doubles wins; and Parduman Singh Chawla’s hard-fought 15-17, 15-11, 15-2 win in the third singles made the issue safe for India.


    However, Denmark were to gain revenge from the Indians for their 1952 loss, with the charismatic strokemaker Finn Kobbero acing both Natekar and TN Seth in the singles, even as Jorn Skaarup beat TN quite easily; and Kobbero and the big-hitting Hammergaard Hansen were far too strong for both Indian doubles combinations.


    Possibly, it was a lack of adequate international exposure that prevented the Indians from going further than the third place on each occasion. Otherwise, the 1930-born TN had a magnificent record of consistency at the Indian Nationals, winning the singles for the first time at Lucknow in 1952-53, and figuring in every final thereafter until the 1958-59 Gauhati Nationals.
     
  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    TN won the National singles crown four of the seven times he trekked to the final, having the misfortune of losing to Natekar on each of the other three occasions – at Gwalior in 1953-54, Pune in 1954-55 and Gauhati in 1958-59. He was to beat Natekar in only one National singles final – at Delhi in 1956-57.

    “In the team event of the Delhi Nationals in 1956-57, I beat him in three games, all three of which went over the extra points,” says Natekar. “He gained his revenge in the individual event, beating me in the final – again in three games, with the final game ending at 18-16 in his favour. It reveals just how closely we were matched.”

    TN was not much of a doubles player, though he was pressed into service to play doubles with Manoj Guha in the 1952 Thomas Cup series.

    He was certainly not in the same class as his protégée, Suresh Goel, in the paired events, yet won a solitary mixed doubles title at the 1951-52 Kanpur Nationals with Doris David as partner.

    In the initial years of his career, opportunities to play abroad were extremely few. In the only All-England he played in 1954, when he and Natekar went after collecting the requisite funds with much difficulty, he lost in the second round to Denmark’s Poul Holm. But his exploits in the Thomas Cup singles ensured that his name passed into the annals of Indian badminton as one of the greats of the game.

    TN’s contemporaries were unanimous that he appeared a little bulky for badminton. Nevertheless, he had an extremely smooth and easy style; and, in spite of his bulk, his movements were fluid and graceful.

    “If he was at the baseline when you dropped at the net, he would still reach it,” says Natekar. “How he did it, I could not tell you, but he did reach. He always served high and behind, and relied more on tiring out his opponent than forcing the points.

    “Initially, he began with mostly overhead strokes, but soon developed a reliable backhand as well. His staying powers were among his strong points; but, unlike many defensive players who can be very boring to watch, he was very easy on the eye.

    “If he had a shortcoming, it was that he was inclined more towards defensive than aggressive play. That is possibly because he lacked a powerful smash.”

    An Arjuna Award winner, TN was perhaps one of the most gracious and sporting gentlemen the game has known, and an example for players to follow. He was never known to question a line decision, never to complain of playing conditions, and never to refuse to play a match, or matches, at any time. He would always do his utmost to cooperate with tournament organisers and help make their work easier.

    “I have been told that every organiser looked forward to having my husband play in their tournaments, for he was popular with players, organisers and spectators,” says his widow Dr Lakshmi Seth, who was running a flourishing maternity nursing home in the heart of Gorakhpur, when I met her in 2011.

    “He was a soft and courteous individual, like a typical UP man, and was blessed with a contagious sense of humour.”

    “TN would usually be seen smiling,” says Natekar. “I had an excellent rapport with him because we toured a lot together, going to the All-England, the All-American, and the Thomas Cup series.

    “He was not very fluent in English, and would usually converse in Hindi. When we were abroad, we used to have sessions of singing and camaraderie with our opponents and the umpires in the evening after the matches. TN ended up singing the `Hanuman Chalisa’ (a spiritual tome)!”

    TN, who was employed by the Indian Railways as a Sports Officer, was mentor to the magnificent strokemaker Suresh Goel, and Syed Modi, too, in his early days, benefited from the man’s fluid style of play.

    TN Seth was a lodestar for the many promising juniors of Uttar Pradesh, whom he guided, coached and encouraged through the years. Perhaps his splendid game and sterling example have provided the reason why Uttar Pradesh has produced so many junior national badminton champions.


    Updated Date: Apr 12, 2020 11:18:06 IST
     
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  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Interesting historical account of badminton which started in Tawau, Sabah.


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    Tawau
    Town in Malaysia
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    Tawau formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest town in Sabah, after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.Wikipedia

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    http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/read/3660/tawau-s-pioneer-badminton-players/

    Tawau’s pioneer badminton players
    Published on: Sunday, April 19, 2020
    By: Nicholas Chung


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    Sin Hwa School sports day in early 1950s.

    IN Tawau during the 1940s to 1960s, very few people played badminton either as a game or as a form exercise. In fact, it was only in the mid- or late 1940s that the game was first introduced to Tawau.

    The pioneers who were given credit to have done this were a group of “elite Tawau residents”. They first built two basic courts in the school playing field of Sin Hwa Primary School, located near the town, the same site where the school still stands today.

    The pioneers were namely Anthony Chan Chun Sang, Tai Tiam Li, Pan Su Thin, Richard Tai Nyuk Foh and Koo Theng Chua who were the regular early players.

    They were later joined by Chin Tsun Bin and Soo Yin Chan. The latter also took part in the game, along with the aforesaid gentlemen. Soo was no doubt the trendsetter, not only because she was the first female to play badminton in Tawau, but also something of a celebrity in the way she dressed.

    She always appeared in a loose blouse and a pair of short fluffy trousers. Her outfit was an eye-popping experience among the spectators in a town which was then anything but open-minded.

    And so, the players gathered for the game every afternoon except during rainy days and on public holidays. The game did not prove to be attractive enough to entice other members of the townsfolk to join.

    Spectators were always some students, including this writer. The number of players remained static right until the time when I left school in the late 1950s and went back to watch the game only occasionally.

    But, thereafter, other schools began building their own badminton courts and coaching their interested students to play the game, mainly as a form of exercise and not aiming to train competitively.

    So that fact remains that Tawau has never produced any player good enough to become a national representative.

    In Tawau, the debate remains as to who was the first man to have really introduced the game and organised the playing of the game. The consensus was that it was Anthony Chan Chu Sang.

    The late Chan originally hailed from Seremban, Malaya. He was first an English and Maths teacher at the Holy Trinity English School. He later became a planter and businessman.

    He was known to have donated a large tract of land to the school for its expansion. Messrs Tai Tiam Li and Pau Sau Thin were both landowners and Messrs Richard Tai and Koo Theng Chua were businessmen. Messr Chin Tsun Bin and Tan Soo Kee were both recruited by HSBC from Singapore to work in their Tawau branch.

    These two gentlemen both returned to Singapore on retirement. And these people were reported to have passed on. The lone lady player, Soo Yi Chan, retired and moved on to Hong Kong where she is reported to still be alive and now in her 90s.
     
  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Childhood rival Kean Yew praises Zii Jia's never-say-die attitude
    https://www.stadiumastro.com/sukan/...aises-zii-jia-s-never-say-die-attitude/166426

    Oleh Nicolas Anil 27 April 2020 28

    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew was surprised with Lee Zii Jia's progress but acknowledged the world number 10 always had the tools to go far in the game.

    "He has always been a strong player that never gave up easily. I think the thing that changed most about him is his height. He has also gotten so powerful now," Loh told Stadium Astro.

    The Malaysian-born Loh, who is now Singapore’s leading male shuttler, had grown up together with Lee and Cheam June Wei on the national junior circuit before moving across the Causeway when he was 13.

    Loh notably beat Lee in the Under-12 final of the National Junior Grand Prix Finals in 2009, but the Malaysian holds a 3-0 advantage over the Singaporean on the professional circuit.

    Of the three wins, the 2019 SEA Games men’s singles final stands out as Lee beat Loh 21-18, 21-18 to strike gold.

    But Loh, now ranked 38th in the world, is slowly finding his way to becoming a top player.

    The 22-year-old gained worldwide recognition when he beat Lin Dan to win last year’s Thailand Masters, and three things soon became apparent.

    His social media following shot up overnight, and he became a wanted ambassador for a lot of brands who wanted him to endorse their products.

    Loh has not been able to win another title since, but he has beaten higher ranked shuttlers like Chou Tien-chen (2nd) and Kanta Tsuneyama (11th) this year.

    "So far it’s been good, but I still have a long way to go and I am working hard, hoping to make my dream come true," said the Penang-born, who is coping well with the COVID-19 lockdown.

    "In fact, I am quite enjoying the lockdown. Everyday we have training and we need to send videos to show what we have done in training. Sometimes we do train together as a team while video calling. I feel everyone will come back more ready than ever."
     
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  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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  13. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    hope Loh can improve and be among the top 10 one day.
     
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  14. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://sportstar.thehindu.com/badm...-pbl-2020-awadhe-warriors/article31452775.ece

    2021 Tokyo Olympics: Beiwen Zhang hopes to find sponsors
    United States badminton star Beiwen Zhang, who played for Awadhe Warriors in the 2020 PBL, hopes to find sponsors ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

    [​IMG] Dominic Richard
    CHENNAI 28 April, 2020 14:51 IST

    [​IMG]
    Beiwen Zhang in action during the Premier Badminton League. - NAGARA GOPAL

    United States (US) badminton star Beiwen Zhang has experienced a mixed lockdown period so far at her home in Paradise, Nevada. Her Instagram account was hacked, while she feels when there's nothing to do, motivation is difficult to come by.

    - Lockdown Diary -

    However, the women's singles world No.15 is getting to spend some quality time as a dog mom with her pets Maru and Peanut. She's also working out in her backyard and going for short jogs.

    "My Instagram was hacked and finally it's been reactivated. Funny thing is, I was contacted by the hacker and we became friends," quipped Zhang after regaining control of her social media handle.

    "I'm eager to get back on the badminton court. I will continue to do some workouts at home and also use this time to appreciate my family and friends," she added.

    - No Support in the United States -

    Zhang's nation is an Olympic superpower but it hasn't won a single badminton medal at the quadrennial spectacle. The country's top-ranked shuttler explained why the sport isn't given much importance.

    "It is unfortunate that they don't consider badminton important. The sport only has five gold medals, whereas Swimming offers 34. That's why it's considered small and this is sad," she told Sportstar.

    The 29-year-old, who beat Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu on her way to the 2018 India Open crown, doesn't train much in the States, while she hardly gets any government funds. She is currently looking for more sponsors to help her in her attempts to get a seeding for the Tokyo Olympics.

    "I don't train in the U.S. before tournaments. Normally, I go to Malaysia and Singapore. The government doesn't support me, I'm self-funded. I'm unable to pay for my coach's travel from Singapore. So he doesn't accompany me overseas.

    "There's no travel-expense program in the country. It would be nice if the government helps me with that. I only have my Hong Kong sponsors and Yonex to fund me now. I'm trying to find more so that I can handle all the expenses and eventually end up as one of the seeded players at the upcoming Olympics," she said.

    - Goals for Tokyo Olympics -

    The U.S. doesn't have a single men's singles shuttler ranked in the top-100. The rankings aren't any convincing in doubles either. However, due to several wildcards, the nation is prepared to send more athletes than ever before to the Tokyo Games.

    Zhang, who played for Awadhe Warriors in the 2020 Premier Badminton League (PBL), remains the country's top medal prospect, with the men's doubles duo of brothers Phillip and Ryan Chew coming a distant second. She opened up on the goals for her first-ever Olympics.

    "The first goal is to not get injured. From last May to October, I was out because I had hurt my ankle and knee. That shouldn't happen again. The next step is to find a proper place to train with my coach and another good sparring partner.

    "I think badminton is slowly getting recognition from fans in the U.S. People are taking it up as a career. Hopefully, in five to 10 years it should develop more. If I get an Olympic medal, maybe they'll start considering the sport important," the 2018 Korea and US Open runner-up added.

    - Move from China to Singapore to USA -

    Zhang was born in China and had moved to Singapore later. She represented Singapore at different levels until 2011, after which she moved to Las Vegas.

    The PBL star was dropped by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) after falling out with then-singles head coach Luan Ching. She didn't head back when SBA requested her to return and chose to represent the U.S. instead.

    Beiwen Zhang has a 4-6 win-loss record against Indian star P.V. Sindhu. - Sandeep Saxena

    "I was born in China, represented Singapore for close to 10 years and then moved to the US. I didn't play for China though. US Badminton Association gives me more freedom as compared to Singapore. I can choose whatever tournament I want to play in.

    "However, I've reached the level I'm playing at today because of the experience I gained in Singapore. It was not only me who had a problem with the coach so I had no other option but to leave," said the American shuttler.

    - The Tougher Opponent: Sindhu or Saina? -

    Zhang and her Warriors side had finished fifth in the latest edition of PBL. She went on to praise Indian badminton.

    "I think PBL is a great tournament. The Indian players did a great job. They perform well at the big tournaments now. They get good support from fans and their board. So they are stepping up and reaching higher levels. And I think sport is heading in the right direction in India."

    When asked whom she would prefer to face between reigning World Champion P.V. Sindhu, against whom she has a 4-6 win-loss record, and former World No.1 Saina Nehwal, whom she has beaten only once in four meetings, Zhang said: "Both of them are superstars. I think Sindhu is a fighter. But I prefer to play her over Saina. This is because Saina counters my game better and she isn't my favourite opponent."
     
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  15. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    3 parts special on Yeo Jia Min

    part 1


    part 2


    part 3
     
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  16. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    part 4 of Yeo
     
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  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    lodoss, Part 5 coming?

    All the best to Jia Min and LKY on their professional badminton journey.
     
  18. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    thats all i guess, since part 4 was released on BWF youtube 3 days ago. The previous 3 parts were released over 3 days, so 1 part per day.
     
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  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    A boon for badminton
    https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/a-boon-for-badminton
    [​IMG]
    The Punggol Regional Sports Centre will feature a 50m infinity lap pool and a 5,000 sq m team sports hall, which are the largest among ActiveSG centres so far. PHOTO: SPORT SINGAPORE
    Published
    Jun 24, 2020, 5:00 am SGT

    Hall with 20 courts at upcoming Punggol sports centre will ease high demand: Players
    Kimberly Kwek

    Nanyang Polytechnic student Nigel Cheong, a keen badminton enthusiast, often needs to book a weekend slot for a public court at least two to three weeks in advance.

    And even then, he is successful only about 70 per cent of the time.

    So the 20-year-old was thrilled to learn that Singapore will have 20 additional public courts at the Punggol Regional Sports Centre (RSC), which is scheduled to be ready by 2023.

    Cheong, who used to play at Jurong East, Bukit Gombak and Clementi sports halls three to four times a week before the circuit breaker to stem the spread of Covid-19 began on April 7, said: "It's definitely better because others wouldn't have to fight for the courts and we would not have to book early just to get the courts that we want.

    "It is also good that there will be a regional sports centre because it will help to cultivate the sporting scene here in Singapore as well."

    Singapore Badminton Association president Lawrence Leow also applauded the initiative, saying: "The 20 new courts will certainly be welcomed by both badminton enthusiasts and recreational players and offer individuals and families an additional venue to play and enjoy the game."

    Currently, the indoor sports hall at Our Tampines Hub is the only one with 20 badminton courts. Having another facility of a similar scale would help to ease the demand for badminton courts, ActiveSG's most popular sports facilities.

    There were over 810,000 badminton court bookings last year, the highest in comparison to all other sports and facilities.

    Tennis courts and table tennis tables, which had over 100,000 bookings each, are next on the list.

    Public badminton courts were also in high demand as sports facilities reopened last Friday, with over 90 per cent of about 3,000 slots taken up. All available courts were booked on Sunday.

    Former national shuttler Derek Wong, who conducts private badminton classes now, believes that having such a facility will aid youth development at the grassroots level.

    He said: "It will help to promote the sport in Punggol, where the surrounding schools are not very strong in badminton. With these 20 courts, young families will be able to expose their kids to badminton much more easily."

    GRASSROOTS GAME

    It will help to promote the sport in Punggol, where the surrounding schools are not very strong in badminton. With these 20 courts, young families will be able to expose their kids to badminton much more easily.

    DEREK WONG, former national shuttler, on the Punggol Regional Sports Centre.

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    Apart from the indoor sports hall, the new sports centre will have a 5,000-seater football stadium, a swimming complex with five pools, and a team sports hall with three convertible courts. Each court is able to cater to netball, basketball or volleyball. The hall can also hold up to 3,000 seats.

    The RSC will also include a gym, fitness studio, sheltered tennis and futsal courts, a water activity centre and an archery training centre.

    In terms of the size of sports facilities, the Punggol venue will be the biggest ActiveSG sports centre to date. Its infinity lap pool, at 50m, and the team sports hall, at 5,000 sq m, will be the largest of those under ActiveSG's management.

    The development of Punggol RSC is part of the Sports Facilities Master Plan, a key initiative of the national sports blueprint Vision 2030 and is covered by the $400 million pumped into developing the sports sector annually.

    The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth said that work on the facility would begin as soon as possible.

    When asked about the possibility of a delay because of the Covid-19 situation, MCCY Minister Grace Fu, who revealed details about the plans for the Punggol RSC in a virtual media interview on Monday, replied: "I think given the current situation, when manpower as well as logistical change (is) subjected to big uncertainty, it's very difficult to hold anyone to a deadline on construction.

    "We have the plans to move ahead as planned but even that - a lot depends on whether the contractors are able to find the workers and whether the materials can come from the suppliers. I must put in a lot of caveat on deadlines, but we have every intention to move as normally as we can if there's a way to do so."

    Residents in Bishan and Toa Payoh can look forward to the Toa Payoh Integrated Development, which will be built over the next 10 years and will have a sports centre, polyclinic, library and town park.
     
  20. Khady

    Khady Regular Member

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