Extremely huge queue here on finals day since 10 am. Must be sensing another Indonesian victory. Raphy just came out to check on his Solibad booth. Took time to buy some drinks too. Yup, it is hot out here and we are still 95 minutes away.
Actually, service aside, she played quite well. Makes up for it with her intelligent service returns. But Harry Potter just couldn't handle the critical points. Subdued performance from him, maybe lost his wand somewhere among the huge INA crowd.
I like it too ...... Wakakakaka. Otherwise the Istora atmosphere will be lost forever. Good place to train Malaysian players mentally. Only the super strong Malaysians ever won here.
Hehehe...... You're such a good sport abedeng... Hey, the Djarum girls' outfit is upgraded this year... Too bad you can't see 'em...
Can you imagine a player of her calibre not being able to serve. How the hell did she get this far?? With her serve, the opponent is guaranteed about 4 points so the TPE pair is in a 0-4 hole right off the bat. Basically their opponent only have to get to 17. Re. Harry Potter, you're right, he did not have his best game so that did not help either. Also, have you noticed Cheng's comical spazzy reactions after she's made a b*ll*cks of some of her shots? Quite entertaining that girl.
It means if she s able to improve her kindergarten serve to high school level by next year, she has a chance to medal in OG12! Some people can laugh at themselves. Maybe that s why she plays well. Now if she can laugh at her serve...
Of course there are pics of the Djarum girls - it is the prime reason of my being here. No way Krisna could keep those new models away from me . Only problem is there's too much to enjoy, not enough time for Internet uploads - will upload later when I get home....
PART 1 : Indonesia Open Super Series Premier 2011 – THE Premier League Event Compared to 2010, my 2011 badminton hopping calendar is extremely restricted. No thanks to a career move to probably the worst operations job in the world, just after attending the last Premier Event – the 101st All England Championships. But it is a sin to miss some Premier events. Especially after the first 4 days of competition, there’s not a single shred of Djarum girls pictures anywhere in BC forums, not even in the Pictures and News thread ……. Lin Dan losing in the 2nd round is not too bad, but no Djarum girls?!! C’mon, u must be kidding, right? To avert "a tsunami like tragedy," I had to, ahem, take matters into my own hand. And with a quick swipe of Credit Cards to the Best Cheapskate Airline in the World for 3 years running, followed by another swipe to the least cheapskate hotel located at downtown Senayan, I descended over Jakarta in the wee hours of Saturday morning. My home base this time is the Premier League Class Hotel Mulia ….. yup, you had to match the accommodation class to THE Premier Event. Otherwise, there's no point calling it Premier ..... wakakakaka. The usual Sultan Hotel or Atlet Century Park of yesteryears seemed to be a little, err, cheapskate in comparison (Hint to BWF). Just look at the opulence here ……. 1 to 4 : Pictures of my room (TO BE CONTINUED)
PART 2 : Marketing and Promotion of a Premier Event The first order of business was to descend to Istora early Saturday morning to get myself tickets. It is expected that there would be, errr, carnage somewhere near the ticket booths ..... that's patriotism for you. Along the way, I noticed a sea of promotion materials lining up the major arterial roads along the Senayan and Sudirman area. There is no way anybody would even miss this event, even if he is colour blind, or illiterate. Pics here: Promo banners in front of the gate opposite my hotel Banners along Asia-Afrika Road This is DIO the mascot Would really be incredible if players do that one handed stand in actual matches. More promotion material Yes indeed, this has really opened the eyes of BWF on how promotion should be done. Much better than, say, forcing a skirt ruling on female players ....... Of course, Djarum promotion does not just extend to this, they also held all those celebrity shows at major malls attended by past and current greats. In fact, lots of things were done here, that dwarfs all other tournament venues put together ..... and that's a fact. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Part 3 : Premier event mgmt + excellent promotion = passionate fans Indonesians big or small, identify with their colourful badminton history. Despite the perceived lack of success, they are passionate about their heroes. And the one thing that stands them out from other crowds is that they continue supporting until the last point, as long as they see that the heroes are trying to win the match. This is part of the reason why Indonesian players are good at coming from behind to snatch a win. And why Malaysians aren't too good at it. Anyway, back to the fans. Nothing is more passionate than bringing your kids in tow, standing in sweltering heat for hours while waiting for the ticket booths to disburse. While trying to keep your hard earned pay from being swollen by the greedy touts. Seriously, those touts are operating syndicates here. Ticket disbursing management could be more stringent and improved. This is the one area that the organizers have room for to make better. Anyway, here's a tribute to the Indonesian fans - champions in their own right. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Part 4 : Planet badminton - istora senayan Last year, the Istora Senayan built within itself, a City of Badminton. Now the City has been transformed into a Planet of its own. Planet Badminton. Here are some highlights of the, err, highlights of the Planet. Patience please, the Djarum Girls are not appearing in force just yet ....... wakakakaka. The approved attire for women players The Kami Percaya (We Believe) Booth - to support INA players on Internet and Social Networking Medium The games we play - I'd rather spend time with the sweet young thing You won't need to ask for directions here Djarum main merchandising booth - a peek of the Djarum girls from far The crowd milling after semifinals day The gigantic TV screen, meant for those unwilling to pay exorbitant prices. Comes with speakers to hear out the umpire's call Mascots dancing to the beat of the drums ....... ...... coming from this school band Promoting the new Taufik Hidayat Arena - where future Taufiks will be born A revolving Planet Badminton Face Painting Booth Mascots congratulate themselves on a job well done The support and wishes writing wall (TO BE CONTINUED)
