Thursday, September 28, 2017

The 2nd day of individuals

Dear readers


It has been a mixed day for the WA players.



Boys and Girls singles:

Jonny had no problems defeating Jack Yu in 2 sets. He then played Ben Chen and also defeated him 21/16 and 21/14. Otto and Jonny now meet again in the finals. Will this be a repeat of the team event?

In the plate, Timothy played Ricky Tang and lost in 2 sets. Damien then played Ivan Wong winning in 2 sets. The plates final was between Ricky Tang and Damien. Ricky Tang won in 2 sets.

Bernice beat Sydney Go in 3 sets. It was a close fight. Bernice proceeded to beat Yasmin Say in 2 sets so as to progress to the finals. Bernice has never played  Angela Yu of QLD. QLD did not have a team and Angela is playing only in the  individuals. She is a strong player and apparently her mum is a coach. This should be an interesting challenge.

Mixed doubles:

Otto and Sydney beat Jonny and Bernice in 2 sets.  That means WA is out of the mixed doubles.

Theodore and Yasmin won the plate against Austin and Phoebe.


Boys doubles:

We only had players in the plate. Theodore and Julian were eventual winners beating Dawson and
Damien.


Girls doubles:

Again we had no teams in the doubles as everyone was in the plate. The eventual winners were Bernice and Joanne.

This is the first time WA has won 3 plate events. Is that good? I am wondering.

Lets hope Bernice and Jonny bring in the singles gold tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

First day of individual events

Dear readers

The Australian Under 15s Championship has commenced.

It has been a tough day for many of the players especially the younger ones.

Team events are over and it is now the fight for personal glory.

However many of the state players have already stretched their young bodies to the limit in fighting for their state. We are proud of them.

Now, lets see where the WA players are at:

Singles:

Eric Lee has gone to the plate. Was he with Geraldton?  Matthew Cunnigham played Thomas Ng and lost in 2 sets. He goes to the plate too.

Theodore won an easy 2 sets against Rayne Wang but faces Otto Zhao of Voc tomorrow. This will be a tough fight.  Good luck Theodore.

Jia Ding lost to Austin Chen and also moves to the plate.

Justin Lim lost to Xenos He and also goes to the plate.

Damien also lost to G Jap in 2 sets and goes to the plate.

Julian beat Charles Jong in 2 sets but lost to Ben Chen in 3 sets. He must be disappointed. Ben is seeded  3/4 so Justin should not be disappointed.

Dawson beat beat Ivan Wong in 3 setsbefore losing to Jack Yu.

No. 2 seed, Jonny beat Asher in 2 sets and meets Jack Yu tomorrow.

Bernice is seeded 1. She beat Phoebe Ooi in 2 easy sets and plays Sydney Go tomorrow.

Anika Hird lost to P Kusiadi and goes to the plate.

Lily Klein also moves to the plate losing in 2 sets to Gloria Li.

R Swain also moves to the plate after losing to Catrina Tan in 2 sets.

Cindy Lawrence also goes to the plate after losing to Carina Sam in 2 sets.

Joanne beat Jasmine Donald in 2 sets but lost to 3/4 seed K Ea.

Lucy Lin also moves to the plate after losing to Fiona Le in 2 sets.

Shakti  played Fiona Le and also moves to the plate.

Likewise Vevina lost in 2 sets to Irene Chau and goes to the plate.

Gee, there are lots of  WA players in the plate singles.

In the Mixed doubles:

Damien and R Swain moved to the plate after losing in 3 sets to Xenos He and Carina Sam.

Dawson and Lily Klein lost to Ben Chen and Gloria Li so they go to the plate.

Allen Fang partnered Cindy but lost to M Cunningham and A Hird. M Cunningham and A Hird then met Otto and Sydney losing in 2 sets.

Jonny and Bernice had easy wins against Asher Ooi and J Donald.They play Otto and Sydney. This should be a good match to watch.

Julian and Joanne are doing well progressing after beating W Johnson and J Kaur, Gavin Li and M Turner, They face Rayne Wang and Fiona Le tomorrow.

Rayne Wang and Fiona Le beat Theodore and Yasmin Say in 3 sets.

Jiading and Lucy Lin also go to the plate after losing in 2 sets to G Jap and Irene Chau.

Timothy and Vevina also moved to the plate after losing to Ivan Wong and P Kustiadi in 2 sets.

Boys doubles:

Eric Lee and Jiading go to the plate after losing to C Jong and M Kha in 3 sets.

Dawson and Damian had a walkover against  W Johnson and Justin Lim. They then lost to B Chen and G Jap in 2 close sets.

M Cunningham and Timothy lost to Austin Chen and Gavin Ong and go to the plate.

Theodore and Julian also lost to Xenos He and Ivan Wong after a close 3 setter. The final score was 23/21. They must be devastated.

Girls doubles:

Shakti and Anika lost in 2 sets to Phoebe and Carina.

Lily Klein and Lucy Rose also lost to J Donald and M Turner.

Bernice and injured Joanne did not have much luck losing to P Kustiadi and Angela Yu. I was told by Annie that Tyzton was coaching them. They were losing as Joanne was not well. To encourage her, Tyz promised her an ice cream if she got another point. She proceeded to get 5 pts and Tyz declared himself broke. They progress to the plate and should clean up there.

Cindy and Vevina lost to Sydney and Fiona Le in 2 sets and also go to the plate.

The stars to look out for will be Jonny and Bernice. They should both be in the singles finals.

Jonny and Bernice need to beat Otto and Sydney tomorrow to get to the finals.
 
Julian and Joanne need to fight for their right to be in the mixed doubles finals.

We hope the best for Theodore when he meets Otto.

Good night.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

So close to making history with a gold medal but had to settle for silver.

Dear readers

The morning was tense for the whole team and the parents. They knew they were playing against Vic 1 which had demolished NSW 7-1.

Can WA do better? Well, with lion hearted team players and the encouragement of Coach Yuli, Manager Annie, Asst Manager Sok Teoh and now Asst Asst Manager, Teoh's oldest daughter, we had to do well.

The match started with Theodore and Jonny in the doubles against Thomas Ng and Otto Zhao. WA won the first set 21/18 after some close shaves. However, Vic 1 caught up with a 21/16 2nd set. This was looking challenging. However, Theodore and Jonny came through with a 21/15 win.  WA was 1 up.

Next was Bernice and Joanne in the girls doubles.  Joanne had been running a fever and was not in the best shape. However, trooper as she is, she was going to give her all for WA.

Unfortunately, her best was not enough and the girls went down 17/21 and 12/21.

Next on was Theodore. He did not disappoint WA winning in 2 sets at  21/10 and 21/10. His confidence is growing every day and he will have a good individual tournament.

That meant WA was 2/1 ahead.

Vevina then stepped in for Joanna who is still unwell. She played Sydney Go who is a more experienced player.  Vevina tried her best and gave everything but could not contain Go losing in 2 sets.

Her parents should be proud of her. She never gave up and gave everything for WA. She still has another year to represent WA and I am sure she will shine next year.

We were now 2/2. Jonny steps up for WA. He plays Otto Zhao who has beaten him before. Jonny is  not fazed and is in full focus mode. He wins the first set 21/19. He progresses to the 2nd set at 21/19 although he gave Coach Yuli some anxious moment when he lost 3 pts in a row.

WA was now 3/2 up against Vic 1.

Next came Bernice.  She is such a strong player  and never a prima donna.  A credit to the Teoh family who have brought such great players and children. Mummy Teoh was all stressed watching young Bernice fighting for WA and giving everything.

She won the first set 22/20 to the relief of WA. She lost the 2nd set at 13/21. owever she stayed focused. You can see it in her eyes. Such determination and focus. She knew she had to win to give WA a gold chance. And win she did. She won the 3rd set at 21/19.

This is only the 2nd time WA has ever gotten to a 4/2 lead against Vic 1. The first time was in 2012 when Tyz's team beat Vic 1.

We now had to just win one more match to win gold. However, it was not meant to be. WA lost both mixed doubles match despite the players giving their best.

So much emotion and adrenaline. To feel on top of the world and then to crash to 2nd place was hard for the team. Even President Lily had tears in her eyes knowing the young WA players had given everything but had to settle for silver.

We lost by 2 sets. Even though, the team need to feel proud of what they have achieved.

They made history by beating NSW 1 for the first time since the tournament started.

They got a great score against Vic 1 losing in 2 sets. All these they owe to Coach Yuli, Manager Annie and umpire Lily. They had confidence in what each of you could achieve.

I had dinner with Coach Yuli and wife Annie tonight. They had reached home at 3 pm and slept till dinner time, exhausted after all the adrenaline.

Their assessment of the team:

Jonny did such a great job stepping up as captain and giving his all for WA. The best thing is, he can play again next year.

Bernice: Such a backbone for WA. So focused playing under pressure and always giving her best for WA. She is going to represent Aus for sure. Maybe the Olympics with brother Kai Chen.

Theodore: Quiet Theodore who does not say much but always gives his best for WA. I heard he finally had a laugh with the team last night after Jonny asked why Theodore was always so quiet. Theodore, enjoy the game as it is a game. Enjoy the team as they all want you to feel a part of a greater force for WA. You have the Under 17s to look forward to.

Joanne: Such spirit, our young Joanne. And she can play in 2 more Under 15s. She will be a star next year. In  fact she is already a star this year. If she did not win NSW 1 in her singles in 3 sets despite the pain , we would not have the chance to fight for gold. Her parents need to be very proud of her as much as WA is proud of her.

Julian: He  was disappointed that he could not contribute more for WA today. Julian has much to offer WA. He has the Under 17s to look forward to. He has done his part for WA in this tournament although I am sure he wishes to have contributed more. Julian, you have contributed to a silver medal for WA and no one can take that away from you. Train hard and shine in the Under 17s.

Vevina: You have the spirit and evreyone can see how you fight for every point. That is admirable. As you get more experience, you will shine. You have the making of a great player. Your mum was apologetic for your performance. Coach Yuli and everyone else, says we are proud of you. Train hard next year for the next Under 15s. You have the skills to be great.

Coach Yuli: My assessment. Yuli has been the greatest thing for WA junior badminton. She has single handedly turned WA juniors badminton around with her dedication and love for the sport. She nearly got gold today but had to be content with silver. Maybe we can persuade her to coach the Under 15s again next year.

Manager Annie: She is always a great manager. That is why Tan and Tan Lawyers are doing so well. However, we hope she spends more time at Tan and Tan Lawyers instead of badminton. So proud of my wife.

Umpire Lily and President: Thank you President for giving your time for this young team. You have shown the players commitment to WA. You have led by example. BAWA is in good hands because of individuals like yourself.

 Finally to the parents.

WA will not be where we are if not for the parents who support their children. These parents for the team were great and so supportive. I can see their love for their children. Why do I blog even though my son Tyz was over the Under 15s years ago?

It is because it is  important for the players and parents to have a record of what they have experienced.

I hope the players will treasure what they have achieved. Good luck in the individuals.

Lastly, the players have to be thankful to  their seniors like Kai Chen and Kai Jie, Tyz and Xiang. These elders were supporting you all the way. 

So, make us all proud tomorrow.

 

 




 

 







WA Wasps - Victoria Rebels: 4-4

Time:Tue 9/26/2017 10:00 AM
Draw:Val Nesbitt Trophy - Final Stage - Positions 1-4
Score:4-4
Match overview
OrderEventWA Wasps-Victoria RebelsScorePoints

Duration
1BD
Theodore Kang
Jonny Kok
-
Thomas Ng
Otto Zhao
21-18 16-21 21-151-0

0:39
2GD
Bernice Teoh
Joanne Zheng
-
Kaitlyn Ea
Sydney Go
17-21 12-210-1

0:22
3BS2
Theodore Kang
-
Thomas Ng
21-10 21-101-0

0:26
4GS2
Vevina Yang
-
Sydney Go
17-21 8-210-1

0:22
5BS1
Jonny Kok
-
Otto Zhao
21-19 21-191-0

0:30
6GS1
Bernice Teoh
-
Kaitlyn Ea
22-20 13-21 21-191-0

0:49
7XD2
Theodore Kang
Vevina Yang
-
Sydney Go
Otto Zhao
10-21 11-210-1

0:18
8XD1
Jonny Kok
Bernice Teoh
-
Kaitlyn Ea
Rayne Wang
13-21 18-210-1

0:25
Statistics

PointsWonDrawLostMatchesGamesPoints
WA Wasps00014-48-10304-340
Victoria Rebels11004-410-8340-304

Monday, September 25, 2017

WA fights for gold at 10 am tomorrow against Vic 1.

Dear readers

The WA state team under Yuli's coaching and Annie's management will be fighting for gold tomorrow. President Lily is the team umpire pushing everyone forward 1 game at a time.

Oh, yes, Sok Teoh is the Asst Manager.  The team also had the help of elder brothers Kai Jie, Kai Chen, Jaz and Tyz and of course Xiang and Jasper to inspire and coach them.

The last time WA fought for gold was in 2012 when Tyz was captain, Jaz was asst coach, Annie was umpire and I was the manager with Kim Rogers as head coach.

We fought NSW 1 but could only manage a silver. We beat Vic 1 for the first time in many years to get to the gold medal fight.

This time, WA beat NSW 1. This is the first time in known history that WA has beaten NSW 1 relegating them to the bronze medal. And it was such a close fight. We won by 1 set in a 4-4 match. The team was fantastic and cohesive. Every one played their part. Some did more but every one made WA proud.

So tomorrow we will face off Vic 1. The match starts at 10 am. I have had to reschedule a few appointments so that I can get to Kingsway.

Can new history be made?

We need every one's support to get the team there. I have just been told that NSW 1 lost 1/7 to Vic 1 today.

That means it will be a hard fight. However, it is not impossible. Going in as under dogs yet again.

I know Yuli will be praying hard tonight.

Any way, a report of what happened today:


The young WA 2 team faced off Vic 1 and had to concede all their matches.

They then had to play Vic 2. This time they did better. Timothy and Damien managed a first doubles win. Timothy also managed a singles win in 2 sets against Gavin Li. Unfortunately, the girls were not strong enough and lost their singles and doubles. Cindy and Damien managed their first mixed doubles win.

The final score of 5/3 was close. Unfortunately that is the end of the team event for the Scorpions. They are ranked 7 out of 8 as Geraldton had forfeited for health reasons as there was a gastro outbreak for their team. WA 2 does not have a game tomorrow.

As Geraldton had forfeited WA 1 did not have to play in the morning.

They however had to make sure they beat NSW2 to ensure a spot in the finals.

WA 1 did not disappoint.

Theodore and Jonny did short work of X He and Asher in 2 sets below 10. They are getting stronger as a team.

Bernice and Joanna also had 2 easy sets against J Donald and Phoebe.

Next Theodore stepped in against Asher. Theodore also managed a below 10 win. He is getting stronger and more confident.

Vevina played her first single for WA1. She managed a win on the first set against Phoebe. Both girls were slugging it out and shouting sold and getting into the game. Vevina lost the 2nd set and also the 3rd. Her skills has improved through the tournament. I think she can still play next year.

Jonny then went in against Asher. He was promised a prize if he beat the other player under 5. He missed out winning at 21/6 and 21/13.  He has had an easy run in singles. Tomorrow will be his toughest test. If he beats the Vic 1 player, he will be ranked no. 1. And he is still eligible to play next year.

Julian and Vevina had their first doubles win against A Fang and Kustiadi.

Jonny and Bernice also had easy wins against Donald and Asher.
































WA Wasps - NSW Lightning: 7-1

Time:Mon 9/25/2017 2:00 PM
Draw:Val Nesbitt Trophy - Final Stage - Positions 1-4
Score:7-1
Match overview
OrderEventWA Wasps-NSW LightningScorePoints

Duration
1BD
Theodore Kang
Jonny Kok
-
Xenos He
Asher Ooi
21-7 21-91-0

0:23
2GD
Bernice Teoh
Joanne Zheng
-
Jesamine Donald
Pheobe Ooi
21-17 21-101-0

0:24
3BS2
Theodore Kang
-
Asher Ooi
21-7 21-91-0

0:17
4GS2
Vevina Yang
-
Pheobe Ooi
21-19 18-21 14-210-1

0:40
5BS1
Jonny Kok
-
Xenos He
21-6 21-131-0

0:20
6GS1
Bernice Teoh
-
Priska Kustiadi
21-12 21-81-0

0:21
7XD2
Julian Mao Lun Lee
Vevina Yang
-
Allen Fang
Priska Kustiadi
21-9 21-131-0

0:15
8XD1
Jonny Kok
Bernice Teoh
-
Jesamine Donald
Asher Ooi
21-9 21-151-0

0:20
Statistics

PointsWonDrawLostMatchesGamesPoints
WA Wasps11007-115-2347-205
NSW Lightning00011-72-15205-347

Tournamentsoftware.com


Victoria Demons - : 5-3

Time:Mon 9/25/2017 2:00 PM
Draw:Val Nesbitt Trophy - Final Stage - Positions 5-8
Score:5-3
Match overview
OrderEventVictoria Demons-WA ScorpionsScorePoints

Duration
1BD
Benjamin Chen
Geoffrey Jap
-
Timothy Sentosa
Damien Wan
12-21 19-210-1

0:24
2GD
Fiona Le
Gloria Li
-
Cindy Lawrence
Radhika Swain
21-15 21-111-0

0:22
3BS2
Gavin Li
-
Timothy Sentosa
16-21 14-210-1

0:25
4GS2
Makayla Turner
-
Radhika Swain
21-9 21-131-0

0:20
5BS1
Benjamin Chen
-
Dawson Lawrence
21-14 23-211-0

0:27
6GS1
Fiona Le
-
Cindy Lawrence
21-9 21-111-0

0:20
7XD2
Gavin Li
Makayla Turner
-
Cindy Lawrence
Damien Wan
20-22 9-210-1

0:18
8XD1
Geoffrey Jap
Gloria Li
-
Shakthi Nimala Angusamy
Dawson Lawrence
21-13 21-131-0

0:20
Statistics

PointsWonDrawLostMatchesGamesPoints
Victoria Demons11005-310-6302-256
WA Scorpions00013-56-10256-302



Victoria Rebels - WA Scorpions: 8-0

Time:Mon 9/25/2017 9:00 AM
Draw:Val Nesbitt Trophy - Group B
Score:8-0
Match overview
OrderEventVictoria Rebels-WA ScorpionsScorePoints

Duration
1BD
Thomas Ng
Otto Zhao
-
Timothy Sentosa
Damien Wan
21-9 21-121-0

0:22
2GD
Irene Chau
Kaitlyn Ea
-
Cindy Lawrence
Radhika Swain
21-11 21-51-0

0:18
3BS2
Rayne Wang
-
Timothy Sentosa
21-12 21-181-0

0:21
4GS2
Sydney Go
-
Radhika Swain
21-8 21-31-0

0:16
5BS1
Thomas Ng
-
Dawson Lawrence
21-16 21-151-0

0:25
6GS1
Kaitlyn Ea
-
Cindy Lawrence
21-8 21-81-0

0:20
7XD2
Irene Chau
Rayne Wang
-
Dawson Lawrence
Radhika Swain
21-11 21-101-0

0:18
8XD1
Sydney Go
Otto Zhao
-
Shakthi Nimala Angusamy
Damien Wan
21-7 21-101-0

0:17
Statistics

PointsWonDrawLostMatchesGamesPoints
Victoria Rebels11008-016-0336-163
WA Scorpions00010-80-16163-336

Sunday, September 24, 2017

An easier afternoon for WA 1. WA 2 fighting hard.


Dear readers

WA 1 had an easier afternoon game against Vic 2.

Theodore and Jonny open accounts beating Vic 2 in 2 easy sets. Bernice and Joanne also won in 2 easy sets despite Joanne being injured.

Theodore won his first singles game against B Chen also in 2 sets. That should get his confidence up.

Vevina played her first game for WA 1 in singles no less. Unfortunately she went down 12/21 and 10/21 against a more experienced Gloria Li.

Jonny again had no problems winning in 2 sets against Geoffrey Jap who was getting more and more vocal.

Bernice again had no problems with her singles winning both games under 10.

Theodore and Joanne had to concede their games at 19/21 and 14/21.

Jonny and Bernice finished off the match strongly in 2 sets.

That means WA 1 has to beat NSW 2  and Geraldton tomorrow to have a crack at the gold medal.

WA 2 was having a tougher time fighting all the way against SA.

Dawson and T Sentosa lost to Charles Jong and Gavin Ong in 2 sets. Angusamy and Cindy got WA 2  up with a 3 sets win against J Kaur and Catrina Tan.

Timothy got WA in front with a 2 set win against W Johnson. However, Angusamy lost also in 2 sets against D Nugoho.

Damien also could not beat Gavin , losing in 2 sets.

Cindy also went down in 2 sets against Catrina Tan.

It was now down to the mixed doubles. WA managed 2 matches with Dawson and R Swain winning in 2 sets. Damien and Angusamy in 2 sets.

Unfortunately in a reversal of WA1's win against NSW 1, WA 2 lost 8/9 to SA  by a set.

Nick has done well with such a young team. He also had Ray Darmawan come in to help coach.

It has been an interesting day.

Tomorrow will be even more interesting.


































Match overview
OrderEventVictoria Demons-WA WaspsScorePoints

Duration
1BD
Benjamin Chen
Gavin Li
-
Theodore Kang
Jonny Kok
8-21 11-210-1

0:19
2GD
Gloria Li
Makayla Turner
-
Bernice Teoh
Joanne Zheng
14-21 9-210-1

0:20
3BS2
Benjamin Chen
-
Theodore Kang
15-21 16-210-1

0:30
4GS2
Gloria Li
-
Vevina Yang
21-12 21-101-0

0:20
5BS1
Geoffrey Jap
-
Jonny Kok
9-21 14-210-1

0:23
6GS1
Fiona Le
-
Bernice Teoh
3-21 5-210-1

0:17
7XD2
Geoffrey Jap
Makayla Turner
-
Theodore Kang
Joanne Zheng
21-19 21-141-0

0:18
8XD1
Benjamin Chen
Fiona Le
-
Jonny Kok
Bernice Teoh
8-21 11-210-1

0:16
Statistics

PointsWonDrawLostMatchesGamesPoints
Victoria Demons00012-64-12207-307
WA Wasps11006-212-4307-207




WA Scorpions - South Australia: 4-4

Time:Sun 9/24/2017 4:30 PM
Draw:Val Nesbitt Trophy - Group B
Score:4-4
Match overview
OrderEventWA Scorpions-South AustraliaScorePoints

Duration
1BD
Dawson Lawrence
Timothy Sentosa
-
Charles Jong
Gavin Ong
18-21 11-210-1

0:24
2GD
Shakthi Nimala Angusamy
Cindy Lawrence
-
Jasmine Kaur
Catrina Tan
13-21 21-19 21-151-0

0:35
3BS2
Timothy Sentosa
-
Wesley Johnson
21-14 21-101-0

0:20
4GS2
Shakthi Nimala Angusamy
-
Dania Nugroho
21-23 8-210-1

0:20
5BS1
Damien Wan
-
Gavin Ong
6-21 14-210-1

0:23
6GS1
Cindy Lawrence
-
Catrina Tan
12-21 10-210-1

0:25
7XD2
Dawson Lawrence
Radhika Swain
-
Charles Jong
Jasmine Kaur
23-21 21-151-0

0:27
8XD1
Shakthi Nimala Angusamy
Damien Wan
-
Marlon Kha
Dania Nugroho
21-18 21-131-0

0:21
Statistics

PointsWonDrawLostMatchesGamesPoints
WA Scorpions00014-48-9283-316
South Australia11004-49-8316-283