Extracted from http://www.todayonline.com/articles/29444.asp Susilo, Li to coach students WHEN Rayson Tan meets Singapore's star shuttler Ronald Susilo today, he will have to learn to control his badminton racquet, and keep his nerves in check. The 14-year-old Kranji Secondary School student will be one of the lucky participants in the Aviva Open youth clinic today, where Susilo and the Republic's top woman player Li Li will coach 95 promising youngsters from across the country. The event, to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, is part of Aviva Singapore's title sponsorship of the five-star US$170,000 ($280,425) Aviva Singapore Open 2004, which starts today. "Do you think Ronald will take a picture with me," the excited teenager asked, yesterday. "Do you think I can ask Ronald a couple of questions? Can I ask Ronald when he is going to marry girlfriend Li Jiawei (Singapore's top women table tennis player)," he laughed. Ever since Rayson picked up badminton two years ago, his favourite player has been Susilo. He cheered wildly when the Singapore No 1 beat Chinese top seed Lin Dan in the first round of the men's singles competition at the Athens Olympics, and he was devastated when Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana knocked his hero out in the quarter-finals. "It will be so exciting to meet my hero in person and be coached by him," said Rayson. "I hope to learn his trick shots and techniques at the net. I want to improve and become a top player like him. "Hopefully, I can follow in Ronald's footsteps and represent Singapore in the Olympics. That's my biggest ambition." Olympic dreams will have to wait, though, as Rayson faces a more pressing challenge today — getting a firm grip on his racquet. "I'll be so excited that my hands will be trembling," he said. "Hopefully I don't make a fool of myself in front of my hero."
