NOTHING COULD BE FINER THAN TO BE IN NORTH CAROLINA…
Senior Nationals 2011 March 23-27….10 reasons to come, first of a series
1. Fun tournament, run by fun people, with fun
things to do
2. Experience Spring in the Carolinas
3. Experience ‘Badminton March Madness’ in the middle of NCAA/ACC (read Duke/UNC) March Madness
4. Hear the story of how Badminton is the only sport to have EVER been played at half time during a men’s basketball game at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium
5. See why the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area of NC is often mentioned in the top 10 of Money Magazine’s Best Places to live in the USA
6. Southwest Air flies to the RDU (Raleigh Durham) airport…read cheaper fares from all airlines
7. Free airport shuttle transportation to the tournament hotel and back and free shuttle transportation to the play venue
8. Stay in the 3 star tournament hotel for $59 double plus taxes
9. An 8 court venue allows us to run the event in 3 days (Th/Fr/Sat March 24-26) keeping expenses low
10. See why NC might just be the fastest percentage growing badminton area in the Eastern US
More info:
www.usabadminton.org
www.badminton-rtp.com
or Paul Knechtel at [email protected] at 336-234-9761
*************************************************************************
NEW USBEF PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
The USBEF is pleased to announce the formation of a Publications Committee whose mission, duties, and functions are listed below.
Mission:
1. Newsletter:
Obtain information about badminton
throughout the country and internationally
and publish it in the USBEF Newsletter
2. Publish the newsletter quarterly
3. Website: Update and maintain the
contents of the USBEF website
B. Duties of Publication Committee members:
1. Submit to the chairman, quarterly, one or two
articles about badminton representing their
part of the country
2. Suggest to the chairman additions to, or
deletions from the website
C. Subjects to be included in the newsletter:
1. Club news, e.g. goals, objectives, membership, facilities, etc.
2. Upcoming tournaments
3. Results of tournaments
4. Coaching
5. Outstanding performances
6. Rules
7. Officiating
8. Other
D. Present Committee
Jim Bosco, chair (Southwest) e-mail:
Mary Ann Bowles (Midwest) e-mail:
Joyce Jones (Northwest) e-mail:
Dave Zarco (Southeast) e-mail:
(Northeast) pending
*******************************************************************************
CLBP BADMINTON
By Harry Orr
May I call your attention to an outstanding project on the web going on in the Midwest? It comes as CLBP Badminton. It’s a newsletter, the return address being [email protected]. CLBP stands for Chicago Land Badminton Players. This comes out as needed which turns out to be several times a week. It lists events, news items, results and anything else of badminton interest no matter where it takes place. Items are contributed by anyone who chooses to do so and are screened by the editor. He also gives credit to the contributors in all cases and normally lists his sources and provides web links to same.
An awful lot of work goes into this and it is done daily. If you don’t get this publication but would like to, or if you’d like to post something, try their web site http://badmintonchicago.com and see if you can’t be put on the distribution list. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
******************************************************************************
NORTHEAST REGIONAL NEWS
By Beth Sopka
As a region, we now have more than 30 umpires of various levels from Regional through Pan Am certified in addition to our 4 Referees (Charlotte Ackerman, Liz Wilson, Ikuko Mukai Cheh, and Beth Sopka. The Downey Cup, NYC Open tournament which served as the backdrop for the most recent umpire clinic, was run using the tournament software and the results are posted on the tournamentsoftware.com website. It was hosted by the NYC Badminton Club and the desk was run by Veronia Wu, Jiao Jiao (Wendy) Wang, and Chibing Wu. There were over 200 participants competing in junior, senior and open divisions, drawing players from throughout our region as well as some from California and other regions. As referee, I can tell you that this tournament was especially challenging for all involved because of the incredible heat spell that settled on NYC that weekend with outside temperatures reaching almost 100 degrees.
***************************************************************************************
WASHINGTON STATE BADMINTON QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT
By Joyce Jones
This tournament was held August 1, 2010, in Tacoma. It was small in size but large in enthusiasm. Joe Moelders does a great job in running the tournament and making sure everyone gets lots of play and enjoys themselves. His wife serves up lots of goodies to keep the players well fed. Those who qualified are as follows:
60-64WS, Sheena Fischer, Bend OR
80-84WS, Joyce Jones, Bothell WA
60-64WD, Joyce Jones/Sheena Fischer
55-59MS, Robert Seguin, Bellevue WA
60-64MS, Yee Hwa Soon, Tacoma WA
65-69MS, Ike Abbasi, Everett WA
70-74MS, Fred Herricht, Silverdale WA
80-84MS, James Bosco, Lake Almanor CA
85-89MS, Jack Harvey, Spokane WA
55-59MD, Robert Seguin/Tom Des Brisay(Seattle WA)
60-64MD, Ike Abbasi/Yee Hwa Soon
65-69MD, Ike Abbasi/Tom Des Brisay
80-84MD, Jack Harvey/James Bosco
50-54XD, Carla Furukawa(Bellevue WA)/Robert Seguin
60-64XD, Sheena Fischer/Tom Des Brisay
65-69XD, Liz Collins (WA)/Ike Abbasi
80-84XD, Joyce Jones/Jack Harvey; 2nd, Mariana/James Bosco
***************************************************************************************
FAREWELL TO PLAYER
Condolences to the family and friends of John Moyer, a top 10 men’s and mixed doubles player who recently passed away. A memorial service was held September 3, 2010, in Claremont, CA.
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (BADMINTON STYLE)
BY GEOFF STENSLAND, BELLEVUE BADMINTON CLUB
I am not exactly sure what I have just witnessed at the recently completed 2010 Badminton World Championships in Paris. With all the hope and anticipation of a different tournament this year, the end result seemed all too familiar. Did we witness a great international badminton competition or did we just witness a professional badminton demonstration from the Chinese national team?
The world championships this year in Paris were great, and I can say that France is definitely a place you want to visit. For me the badminton was the frosting on the cake of a great two-week vacation that saw us visit the beaches of the Riviera and ride the famous alp D’huez in the French alps. But the badminton is what brought us here.
We anticipated great things this year in looking at the seedings and hoping again that someone would put a dent in the Chinese dominance. For the most part the seedings reflected that this should have been the case, but in the end, the seedings were very off from reality, and what really mattered was China’s team ranking. Team China won all five events without even as much as a hint of stress. Team China had 11 of 20 teams in the semis, and 8 of 10 teams in the finals. Save for the Men’s events, it was practically a Chinese national championship played in Paris.
Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia put up a good fight for a while in the men’s singles final, but the Chinese coaches never appeared to be much stressed during the match. Chen Jin looked like Super Dan from last year and the heir apparent to the Men’s singles throne. Chen was fast, strong, and in a few rallies really put the match away with some great digs and recoveries. In the end it looked like Taufik had no options to score points, and made errors trying to make something happen to shake Chen. Taufik is still the crowd favorite and the last non-Team China to win this title; he played well and was great to watch.
The mixed doubles was a change from last year where we were entertained by the Danish team of Laybourn/Rytter’s surprise win. This year there was no surprise and the team of Zeng/Ma won quite easily. Zeng looked to be the real dominant player and had some very creative shots during the match that seemed to come out of nowhere to win the point. Ma, who looked to be the best women’s doubles player in the tournament, was unflappable in winning their title.
The ladies doubles was the only match to feature the top two seeds this year. The number two Chinese doubles team of Du/Yu out-played the first seeded Ma/Wang. Maybe the ladies just wanted to spread the gold medals around and it was Yu’s turn after collecting the silver medal in mixed to Ma.
The ladies singles was won by Wang Lin who came through the draw in the quarter where the first seeded Yihan Wang had lost in the round of 16 to Japan’s Eriko Hirose in a very exciting match. The final against Xin Wang was a good match, but Wang Lin just looked too strong in every aspect of the game. The result could also indicate the luck of the draw as Xin had a long three-game match the previous day against teammate Shixian Wang and may have been a little more tired from the semis going into the final.
Although the Chinese team was dominant there were several other very good performances by players who are both very fun to watch with their speed and creativity. Of note was the play of Sheng Mu Lee of Taiwan, Koo/Tan of Malaysia and Kido of Indonesia. On the ladies’ side, the doubles and mixed play of Yu-chin Chien, and the singles tenacity of Hirose of Japan provided some great moments in the tournament. Both showed brilliance at times during play, and showed that the rest of the world will still compete well with Team China in the future.
In discussing the results after the finals, it is hard to find an Olympic sport so dominated by one team. It reminds me of the US Dream team in basketball where every game was never in doubt. There is no question that the Chinese will dominate badminton for the next several years as the rest of the countries work to keep pace. The sport is squarely in their hands and it will be up to Team China to lead and nurture badminton as it continues to gain world-wide acceptance as a premier sport. It was different this year with the Chinese players tossing team shirts to the crowd after the match, and souvenirs at the start of their finals matches. It is a far cry from the very subdued teams of before, and a good omen for badminton’s future.
The French badminton federation did a great job in putting on the event, and they tried a few new twists. The semis were played on one court and lasted about 12 hours with a musical half time show. It was too long, especially when there were many lopsided matches, or team against team matches. The venue was very hot as the BWF needs to work on how to control drafts that affect the play without having to turn off all the building ventilation. But it was a great crowd and a full venue that should have played well on TV.
I plan to continue to attend this pinnacle of badminton events in the future, but at least for now, I think the most hotly competitive tournament in the world just might be the Chinese National Championships! I wonder if I could get a ticket? See you on the courts!
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR AT 2010 YONEX/OCBC SENIOR INTERNATIONAL
By Mary Ann Bowles
Imre Bereknyei and Lee Calvert, 130XD Champions
As the name indicates, it was an international flavor at the 2010 Yonex/OCBC Senior International Badminton Championships July 23-25. Ninety-three players arrived on Friday, July 23, to do battle at the OCBC, coming from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand, and the U.S.
Some of the Senior players come early to this tournament so they can enjoy the inspiring play of the U.S. Open participants. The Open begins on Monday with qualifying rounds and ends on Saturday night with the finals in the five events. The Senior tournament is played Friday and Saturday 9AM to 5PM, and completed on Sunday.
The Yonex/OCBC Senior International is the only U.S. tournament offering a combined age doubles format. Ages of doubles teams are added together to determine qualification for an event. Players must be at least 35 years of age. Men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles all compete in 80+, 90+, 100+, 110+, 120+, and 130+ age divisions. Singles competition is offered in the regular format, from 35+ to 65+ age groups.
Most of the play in this tournament is tough from the first match. Singles champions included Lisa Campbell (Australia – former 1994 Commonwealth Games Singles Champion and 1996 Olympian) in 40WS, Sue Dommeyer in 60WS, Marc Padre in 40MS, Imre Bereknyei in 45 and 55 MS, Tac Vuong in 50MS, Chaovalit Ruktoume in 60MS, and Dick Warnock in 65MS.
Women’s doubles champions were Lisa Campbell/Joy Kitzmiller in 80WD, Veronica Cukic/Kitzmiller in 90WD, Wendy Carter/Barb Heaney in 100WD, Sue Dommeyer/Mary Jo Randall in 110WD, Mary Ann Bowles/Andrea Weiss in 120 WD, and Margaret Hudson/Tess Tearoe (Canada) in 130WD. Men’s doubles champions included Min Chai/Li-Yong Ying in 80MD, Marc Padre/Joseph Tok in 90MD, Zi Min Cai/Tok in 100MD, Curt Dommeyer/Tariq Wadood in 110MD, Zi Min Cai/Paisan Rangsikitpho in 120MD, and Dommeyer/Murray Foubister in 130MD.
Mixed doubles champions included Ignatius Rusli/Cukic in 80XD, Rusli/Frances Fujinami in 90XD, Tok/Jian-Ping Chan in 100XD, Henry Paynter/Wendy Carter in 110XD, Curt/Sue Dommeyer in 120XD, and Bereknyei/Lee Calvert in 130 XD.
Top winners included Imre Bereknyei (U.S. – 3 gold medals), Curt Dommeyer (U.S. – 3 golds), Cai Zi Min (U.S. – 2 golds), Marc Padre (U.S. – 2 golds), Ignatius Rusli (U.S. – 2 golds, 1 silver), Joseph Tok (U.S. – 3 golds, 1 silver) Wendy Carter (U.S. – 2 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze), Sue Dommeyer (U.S. – 3 golds, 1 silver), and Joy Kitzmiller (U.S. – 2 golds, 1 silver).
Outstanding matches included 90XD with Junichi Kasauga/Beth Sopka defeating Carlos Argueta/Ismat Shaikh, 21-23, 22-20, 22-20; 130XD, Murray Foubister/Margaret Hudson taking Imre Bereknyei/Lee Calvert to three games, winning 21-18, 20-22, 21-13; 130XD with Robin Lyons/Judy Gray fighting for the win over Dick/Karen Warnock, 15-21, 22-20, 21-15; 130MD where Channarong Ratanaseangsuang/Chavolit Ruktoume bested
Ron Jordan/Robin Lyons, 21-14, 12-21, 21-16; 130WD with Margaret Hudson/Tess Tearoe defeating Lee Calvert/Mary Jo Randall, 21-13, 18-21, 21-15; 55MS with Tac Vuong beating Pedro Garcia, 21-4, 18-21, 21-14; 80XD where Ignatius Rusli/Veronica Cukic bested Muqueet Rana/Lisa Campbell, 21-15, 12-21, 21-19; 110MD with Curt Dommeyer/Tariq Wadood beating Don Chew/Ignatius Rusli, 9-21, 21-19, 21-19; and 50MS with John Yong defeating Paul Dong, 21-18, 17-21, 21-16.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped with the tournament including Paisan Rangsikitpho, Don Chew, Kim Chew, Montri Chew, Gus Chew, the OCBC staff, Bob Cook, Dudley Chen, Ed Barnes, Dave Carton, Lee Calvert, Tim and Noi Mangkalakiri, Terry Lira, Elaine Kong, Ed Matanga, Catherine Lee, Peggy Savosik and Dan Cloppas of USA Badminton, and all the volunteers who served as umpires (including many players), linejudges, and in many other capacities.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to all who participated in the tournament. Put the 2011 U.S. Open on your calendar, and come to play and enjoy watching the international players in both tournaments!