Not really. I'm pretty sure Howard and Eva would have won anyway. The US pair has a good record against Mike and Valery. Eva is amazing!
Congratulations to EVA LEE .... A triple crown winner of the tournament !!! Congratulations to May, Howard Bach too ...!!! And Bob Malaythong ........GREAT JOB YOU GUYS ...well done !!!! WE are so proud of your achievement !!!!
it's good to have a US vs CAN rivalry, it should keep us sharp and badminton popularity growing in N. America
Rio's government will support badminton following Pan Am medal 13:04, July 19, 2007 Rio de Janeiro's city government announced on Wednesday that it will sponsor the practice of badminton after a Brazilian pair won a bronze medal in the Pan American Games, a feat never before achieved by the country. According to a statement signed by Rio's Mayor Cesar Maia, the government has ordered a research on the costs to implement the sport in the city, such as the prices for rackets and shuttlecocks, as well as for the construction of badminton courts. The document stated that the policy's main aim is to stimulate the citizens to play badminton in schools, public squares, beaches, communities and sports complexes. The government expects to gather up to 500,000 people in the practice of the sport, barely known among Brazilians. The promotion of the so-called "amateur" sports is regarded as one of the consequences of the Pan Am Games, which started in Rio on July 13 and will last up to July 29. Actually, the Brazilian Badminton Confederation revealed that the number of registered clubs that host the sport has doubled over the past two years, a possible early effect of the Games, announced to be taking place in Rio more than four years ago. On Monday, players Guilherme Pardo and Guilherme Kumasaka passed on to the semifinals in the men's badminton tournament. On the next day, they lost to the U.S. combination Howard Bach and Bob Malaythong in the semifinal match, which awarded them the more-than-welcome bronze medal. "The bronze is a dream come true," said Kumasaka on Tuesday. Source: Xinhua
Birdman legs it out By ROB LONGLEY -- Sun Media RIO DE JANEIRO -- Mike Beres took the first two legs of his would-be Triple Crown before coming up lame in the finale. Still, it was a spectacular Pan American Games for the Ottawa badminton player. Beres added a singles title yesterday to the doubles gold he won on Wednesday when he downed Guatemala's Kevin Cordon in three sets yesterday. But limping badly from an injured left foot, sustained in the singles match, Beres and partner Val Loker of Brantford lost to the American team of Eva Lee and Howard Bach in the mixed doubles final. "It crossed my mind that I was going to have to default," Beres said. So why didn't he? "I can't stand losing," he said. "Coming here, hoping to win medals and then almost getting a Triple Crown ... I'm very happy and I'll remember this moment forever." The Canadian badminton players, who collected six medals in these games, have been popular with the Brazilian fans and today will return the favour. Charmaine Reid, who won a silver in singles yesterday and her doubles partner, Fiona McKee, are going into one of Rio's notorious slums in an attempt to brighten up the lives of underprivileged children. Reid is an avid participant of the Right To Play program, an organization which provides sporting opportunities in third world countries and helped organize the event. The athletes and Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers will venture into the Favela da Chacrinha where they will play and give lessons to some 80 Brazilian children. The badminton medals were part of Canada's most productive day here so far. The team collected 13 medals, including four gold, to boost its total to 48 -- 13 gold, 15 silver and 20 bronze.
Somehow, it appears to me the tournament software kinda screwed up? The date was wrong and the result was wrong as well??? Maybe I screwed up something, but the title was for 2007...
The support to badmontin in USA USA badminton players don't get that much support from the country, neither the facility (training centre) nor finance (Money). The players who get medals all are from OCBC where the Club owner sponsors them, free training and coaching. But the athletes or their parents have to work hard to earn the money to support them to travelling to the international competition. The country has no funding at all to help the players. How sad! Even though USA badminton team get most of the medals in Pan Am Games but the country do not pay attention to the sport of Badminton.
One thing noteworthy is that almost all the Canadian players are natives of Canada, but in the USA team, out of the eight players at the Pan Ams, only two were US natives, Messinee and Nicholas. The reason US players do not get funding is because we have a totally screwed up administration of the badminton. They managed (mis-managed) to lose everything for the US players. But, I think with the five badminton clubs opened up in N.California badminton will become more spread out than the current situation where only one US player was from outside OCBC. I think this year Junior Nationals results show that N. Cal will become the powerhouse. But, the other problem is, still the USA badminton body can't seem to attract the majority folks to play badminton like in Canada, Mexico and Peru and other S. American countries. It is only the minority (Asian) people play badminton in USA.
Hmm.. ..as cooler likes to say, "You're getting warmer"....Yeah, and until the reverse trend happens(who knows when), that will be the main block for badminton becoming "big" in the U.S./North America..
I like to add that funding from Badminton Canada is pretty dismal as well. Oversea tournaments are expensed out of player's own pocket.
Subandhi was born in USA too, all of those players learn, and be trained to play badminton in USA, except Eric Go and Bob Malaythong who moved to US in their early teen’s but they are developed to national player in USA. Native or not native is not the issue; the point is they are US citizens and the “made in USA” badminton players! When they won the gold, we heard the USA Anthem and saw the USA flag raise up. Now they won most of the badminton medals in 2007 Pan Am Games! Nicolas was trained in OCBC a few years ago and he learned his skill and basic there. Another words, the whole team was from OCBC relatively. OCBC did the good job in supporting and promoting the badminton in USA. Finally, we have our USA made players can compete with Canadians, We wish the politics and some personal interests do not jeopardise the growth of this sport in USA and discriminate all these players and their best efforts.
The Brazilians are pretty ambitious... It took France 30 years to go to 100,000 registered players... Well, maybe since Brazil is a bigger country... it is more possible... I wonder if USA ever can reach 500,000 players...
Some more pics.. ..courtesy of gettyimages.com Guilherme Kumasaka and teammate Guilherme Pardo of Brazil Eva Lee & Mesinee Mangkalakiri of USA Howard Bach & Bob Malaythong of USA
That is a stupid ambitius. The existing popular programs of Badminton can only include few people and survive with the big effort of few persons. Brasil only have futebol as a popular sport. Maybe Voleyball and Basketball. Badminton never will archive these numbers
