tania luiz article
Luiz chops and changes in hope
By JACKIE EPSTEIN
22jan06
TANIA Luiz was trying to perfect her karate chop when she took a liking to shuttlecocks.
She arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia at nine and three years later developed a passion for badminton after watching her father play. Now she is waiting to hear news about her Commonwealth Games selection.
"I'm in a good place at the moment, but it's going to be tough," Luiz, 22, said.
"I only started playing singles at the beginning of last year, which was a change quite late, so it's still a big learning curve.
"The decision is out of our control, so we just have to wait and see."
The announcement of five men and five women will be made on February 1.
Luiz, who works part-time at Tennis Australia, is our top singles player, but she fancies the medal chances of our female doubles, men's doubles and mixed doubles teams.
"The ladies doubles team of Kellie Lucas and Kate Wilson-Smith has done well in the past and they are definitely up for contention," she said.
"In the ladies singles there are a few good players, particularly from England, Malaysia and Singapore."
As one of the last teams to be selected for the Commonwealth Games, training has continued in earnest at Altona Leisure Centre under the eye of coach Claus Poulsen.
The Thomas and Uber Cup events are in Auckland from February 8 and are the most important teams events on the badminton calendar.
There are four teams competing in the Oceania stage -- New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and Australia. The winning sides will contest the world finals in the Japanese cities of Sendai and Tokyo in April-May.
"We've had a few tournaments in the build-up to this and it will be a great competition," Luiz said. "Last year I went on a few different trips to China, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. As a social sport it's big, but at the elite level unfortunately we don't have juniors who go on."
ehh She arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia at nine..so i assume,,,, she had been living in saudi arabia when she was small? her dad/mum might be a saudi arabian? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
gee she knows karate... i wud be very glad if tania beats me up....that wud be awesum..
sorry
