hi guys, do you know which badminton bag is FHF using just now during their quarterfinal match against kevin sanjaya pair? I can't really see any logo and it just looks like a black gym bag but somehow it looks really nice..
Although Team INA only won 3 out of 9 matches yesterday, it was an enjoyable day at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, especially bumping into abedeng and uncle Loh. Thanks for the treat bro abedeng and the chat that we had while watching a few matches It has been a long time indeed since we met up. Only 2 pairs from Pelatnas progress to the SF: Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir and Greysia Polii/Nitya Krishinda Maheswari. Both will play against Korean pairs: Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Ha Na and Shin Seung Chan/Jung Kyung Eun. Owi/Butet lost the last 2 matches against Ko/Kim, while Greys/Nitya just lost to Shin/Jung last week. Hopefully they can avenge their losses and reach the Final; as both KOR pairs had to survive tough and energy-sapping matches yesterday (especially Ko/Kim). Sony Dwi Kuncoro was the surprise of the pack as he beat Wang Zhengming in 3-sets: 24-22, 12-22, 21-16; despite having an inferior 0-3 record before the match. He was so calm and composed throughout the match and it's definitely not easy for him to progress to the SF, having clawed all the way from the Qualification Rounds. He faces Lin Dan today, who was simply toying with Tommy Sugiarto yesterday night. I was also pleased with Della Destiara Haris/Rosyita Eka Putri Sari in their hard-fought loss against the veteran CHN pair of Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei. The INA pair was leading 21-18, 11-6; only for their inexperience to set in and they lost the second-set 16-21 and the decider 12-21 eventually. Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo/Markus Fernaldi Gideon also fought hard and briefly led 14-10 in the second-set. But Fu Haifeng/Zhang Nan were simply more experienced and played a lot more safe (according to Ko Herry IP, the MD coach). As for the other Pelatnas representatives, Hendra Setiawan/Mohd Ahsan were simply not in the match as they were trounced badly by the lanky and hard-hitting CHN pair Liu Yuchen/Li Junhui. Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto also made too made mistakes (especially Jordan) as they lost narrowly to Xu Chen/Ma Jin. And I personally think Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi should be split after the Olympics 2016. This pair simply do not have the necessary power to be dominant in MD. Ricky was smashing and smashing and smashing to no avail, and the worst was that many of the smashes ended up in the net as the top-seed Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong strolled to a comfortable straight-set victory. Angga should be paired with a better smasher!
Nice to have met you again, @badMania. We should do this more frequently than just once every decade, you know. I am very encouraged with LD and Sony DK's good form. Just goes to show that, err, old folks like them, LCW, @Loh and me need to be taken seriously in tournaments. Yup - Loh's taming of the banshee queen is no mean feat, worthy of Olympic spectator qualification.
Yes, yesterday was a chance meeting with long time BC friend, badMania, who has been less active because of work. BadMania is no stranger to Singapore as he has been living here for sometime, and has returned about 3 years ago to resume work here. He reminded me that it was in 2006 that we first met, possibly in this same SIS watching another Singapore Open. It was also a coincidence that I bumped into him again in Hong Kong a few years later, while I was lining behind him at Queen Elizabeth Stadium ? to buy a ticket for the Hong Kong Open. Meeting abedeng has been more regular, as he plies to Singapore for many Singapore Opens. We also meet, with many other BC Malaysia members, at the sidelines of many Malaysian tournaments, including the World Championships. Perhaps the most notable of such meetings was when a large group of us BC fans, from as far away as the US, gathered in Jakarta for the Thomas/Uber Cups tournament in 2008. Rudy, or Huage, was instrumental in linking us up with another BC member, Krishna of Djarum fame, and got us VIP treatment to the stadium. Krishna also organized a delightful dinner and a friendly game against his friends in one of Djarum's badminton club facilities. I understand that Rudy is actively involved with the PBSI.
Yesterday was also my lucky day. I was at the aisle near the Players' Lounge when a player in blazing orange/red flashed past me. I took a better look and recognize that it was He Bingjiao. She must be meeting a friend in the PL. I then proceeded to the PL and waited patiently for her to take her picture. She has just beaten ex-Singapore player Zhang Beiwen in straight games in the QF and is a good future prospect to represent China at the highest level. An opportune time to take a picture with her for my album.
Well, she's destined to become a top-flight player and nothing but the fittest can hope to achieve such a distinction. She's even slightly taller although many would hope she can grow taller and slimer.
You and your lucky days ..... First it was the wailing World Champion, now it's the girl who came-up-short-at-becoming World Junior Champion. Somebody will get jealous.