3rd week of training

Dear readers

Wow, what a great training day.

The day started with BAWA president Judith presenting the team uniforms to all the players. This was Sophie's and Heer's first team uniform and I am sure they must be feeling so proud.

The uniforms are sponsored by Li Ning and the uniforms look beautiful. WA's distinctive gold uniform always look great at the National competition. This year, the uniform also has the Tan and Tan Lawyers logo as I am a major sponsor.

I have also been sending out requests for sponsorship for the team so as to help some of the financially disadvantaged players.

I sent out an email to my contacts last Friday and on Saturday I received an email from Denning Chong of James Chong Lawyers. Denning is a good friend of mine and has always been generous whenever I needed help. He always generously sponsors my CEO Sleepout every year.

Denning has sponsored the WA Under 15's team with a $750 cheque. What a generous sponsorship. We all thank him and James Chong Lawyers. Visit http://jameschonglawyers.com.au/  
for info re his practice.

Hopefully we will get more sponsors through the week.

Coming back to the training today.

We were grateful to have Titus and Silvi. They will definitely be in the Under 17s team for next year.

Edward and Gwen also came around to help the team. Gwen and Ed are part of the uncles and aunties team that play at Wesley where my boys first started playing badminton.

Now they are finding it hard to keep up with the boys.

Coach Kim addressing the players

The boys taking a breather 

Heer and Tyz v Titus and Andik

Edward, one of our volunteers

Sophie and Xiang v Edward and Annie

Alex and Olivia

Silvi and a very slim Gwen

Hanif, our cameraboy for today. He is an up and coming Under 15s State player

The team gave the volunteers a hard time. The WA Under 15s team is getting stronger as the players start to jell as a team.

We are trying all the different variations in players match up.

We are grateful for the volunteers and hope they turn up again next week. See you then.

By the way:

This is the content of an email I sent out last week:

Dear friends

Many of you will know that I have been very involved in badminton for the last 10 years.

My involvement in badminton has been even greater as my 2 sons represent WA in national competitions.

My youngest son Tyzton has been appointed as captain of the 2012 WA State Under 15s team and he will be travelling to Caloundra,Queensland from 29 Sept 2012 to 8 Oct 2012.

The other players in the State team include:

(1)    Xiang Lin, originally from China.

(2)    Heer Gudka, originally from Kenya.

(3)    Olivia Fianita, formerly from Indonesia.

(4)    Alexandra Phan, Australian born of Vietnamese descent.

(5)    Sophie Leonard, a true blue Aussie.

This is a multicultural team showing how the sport is enjoyed by all races.

I am the manager for the team and my wife Annie Sim is the team Umpire. Our positions are honorary.

The players get limited funding from Badminton Association of Western Australia (“BAWA”).  The players get NO funding from Badminton Australia which is the main Australian sports body in charge of badminton.

The players are expected to fund raise and they work hard to do so. They have been selling fund raising chocolates but the fundraising work has been hard. Sophie, who is in her first state team, has to walk in her neighbourhood for around 4 hrs to sell chocolates to sell approximately $52 with a 40% net cost. Her loving parents accompany her for safety reasons.

Parents fund raise by doing kitchen duties: cooking, cleaning donating and selling food during badminton competitions organised by BAWA.

Some of the players have such high skills but are unable to represent their State for financial reasons. The current team have their challenges too financially.

Hence, the reason for this email.

I am appealing to your love for your children and sports for any kind of sponsorship.

This is what your sponsorship can do for the players:

1.       $500 pays for a return plane ticket for 1 player.

2.       $300 pays for 1 player’s accommodation for the trip.

3.       $104 pays for the transport cost of 1 player during the trip.

4.       $22 pays for the food cost of a player each day.

5.       $10 pays for the player’s training session each weekend.

The players have been training hard to make WA proud.

Last year’s Under 15’s team made history by winning Bronze for WA. The team members were Tyzton, Xiang and Olivia.

This year there is a chance that they can win a better medal than bronze and the players are giving everything they have.

Information regarding the team can be seen at http://badmintonwaunder15s.blogspot.com.au/

If you sponsor through a business, you are entitled to get a tax reduction. Badminton WA will issue an invoice to you for your sponsorship.

The players hope that they can thank you for your generosity. All sponsors will have their names mentioned in the team blog.

If you are able to help the team with sponsorship please send a cheque payable to:

Badminton Association of Western Australia.  Just write at the back of the cheque: For the Under 15s team.  

The cheque can be posted to my office at 6/78 Terrace Rd, East Perth WA.

Alternatively, please do an electronic funds transfer to:

Tan and Tan Lawyers Trust account at:

Commonwealth Bank

06 6000 1099 3391. The transfer has to state it is for the BAWA Under 15s state team.

Any amount will be welcomed.  Even if it is as little as $10/. If 100 readers send $10 each, the team will raise $1000.

The players are proud to represent Western Australia and they hope Western Australians will be proud to support and sponsor them.