Badminton Magazine - September 2005

Transcription

ISSUE 25 | September 2005 | PRICE £3.00
MAGAZINE
FLYING
HIGH WITH
AAMIR
GHAFFAR
WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS
ANAHEIM 2005
LONDON 2012
OLYMPICS
CONTENTS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
05 ERIC BROWN ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
05 SUE SUTTON
Front Cover
Aamir Ghaffar England No. 1.
HOW THE WORLD FELL
APART
FOR ENGLAND
07 RICHARD EATON COMMENTS ON THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
AAMIR GHAFFAR PLAYER PROFILE
11 AAMIR’S STORY SO FAR
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A DAY IN A LIFE OF AAMIR GHAFFAR
13 AN INSIGHT IN TO THE WORLD OF ENGLAND’S NUMBER ONE
BISI GETS BETTER
14 Bisi GETS A NEW LOOK
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
Editorial
Senior Badminton Editor
Richard Eaton
Editorial Manager
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19 MEMBERSHIP NEWS FROM GERRY CRONIN
BADMINTON’S
OLYMPIC
OPPORTUNITY
20 THE BIGGEST TRIUMPH IN BRITISH SPORTING HISTORY
RACKET REVIEW
23 WHICH RACKETS WHICH BRAND
MANCHESTER LEADING
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25 THE LEGACY OF THE 2002 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
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BADMINTON England.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
27 NATIONAL RANKINGS’ AT A GLANCE
SARAH FITZ-GERALD ON BADMINTON
29 THE WOMENS’ 5 TIME WORLD SQUASH CHAMPION’S THOUGHTS
ON BADMINTON
5 MINUTE BREAK
30 NEWS FROM AROUND THE REGIONS
BADMINTONMAGAZINE September 2005 | 03
www.badmintonengland.co.uk
FROM THE ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE
David Teasdale has done a good job during the period prior to
the 10th, but in the opinion of the Board, the job of delivering
the Whole Sport Plan and driving the commercial strategy,
required more time and energy than even David was able to
give, and as many of you will know I have plenty of that (time
not necessarily energy) !
On Wednesday August 10th the Board of Directors asked me
to take on the role of Acting Chief Executive. Although very
surprised I was deeply honoured by the expression of faith in
me, and after considerable time for reflection I agreed to
take on the role. My biggest worry (other than self doubt)
was the impact this would have on staff.
I am making plans to reduce significantly my other badminton
commitments but will not lose my interest and involvement with
juniors and Essex CBA, to all intent and purposes I will be taking
a sabbatical.
Despite outward appearances and in hindsight, the Board made
a mistake when appointing Clive and my two key roles are to
facilitate the work of the staff and to drive forward the Whole
Sport Plan, and pathing the way for a new CE. Looking back will
Many of the staff have been known to me for a number of years, achieve little and we must now concentrate on looking forward
and I have, on many occasions made public my views about their to the challenge ahead.
contribution to the game. Since the announcement was made to
them on Monday August 15th my views have only been
Eric Brown
enhanced. I owe each and everyone a very big thank you!
Acting Chief Executive
Contact Sue Sutton,
National Development Director on
01908 268400
[email protected]
Let the difference begin! Badminton is on the brink of
appointing Badminton Development Officers to deliver the
national strategic targets set out within the Whole Sport
Plan. It has been an enormously exciting time for Badminton
England’s Regional Development Managers who, in
partnership with County Sports Partnerships and the local
Badminton County Associations have had this task.
The interest and calibre of applicants has been high. Surf
sporting websites and see the adverts. We are the envy of
other National Governing Bodies. We are being seen as the
modern, dynamic governing body that is going places and THE
one to work for!
Ideally by October these officers will be in place, inducted and
operational. Quality working relationships with partners is
now crucial – a time for focus, teamwork, planning and
fulfiling promises.
Quality coaches are going to become in great demand especially
when the anticipated drive within the schools’ agenda creates
that demand – what can be more rewarding than transferring
that passion to young people and watch them mature into
potential ‘stars’. David Fletcher from Hastings, a former taxi
driver has made just that move, with the help from Hastings and
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Rother Sports Partnership. Badminton has flourished under his
influence in his part of Sussex and he is at capacity. “I really
cannot take on any more coaching” said David.
In the north, Brierton Community Sports Centre BC, which is
one of eighteen clubs who have achieved Silver Club status, was
recently involved in Sport England’s promotion of the first 1000
clubs across all sports to gain the award. The celebration
included a press release and a photograph opportunity in the
local media. Interested in becoming a Silver Club? Want to
know more? Look on the website – it’s never been so easy with
the new format and supporting resources. Be brave – take that
step and confirm what you always thought – your club is really
rather good! Not sure? Want some more help – contact Julia
Strong on 01908 268400
Spend! Spend! Spend! Badminton is really working hard – to
spend money! And yes we are one of the few sports to be really
managing this through the Community Club Development
Programme, which enables facility improvements in return for a
contracted development programme. Wycombe BC has just
completed, with plans to celebrate the opening next month.
Ipswich YMCA BC and the Badminton Centre, Hull are also en
route! Badminton is truly buoyant!
HOW THE WORLD FELL
APART FOR ENGLAND
By Richard Eaton
National Head Coach Ian Wright is busy trying to recoup some of the losses of
arguably the most disastrous World Championships England has ever suffered and
one of the unluckiest debuts any coach or manager ever had.
Wright can only attempt damage limitation on the morale of
players which was ambushed by a shattering combination of
emergencies, exhaustion, and harmed performances.
Wright has been in touch with the British Olympic Association,
UK Sport, Sport England, BADMINTON England’s travel insurers,
and even the Sports Minister, to see if financial help is possible.
But he is following different avenues for help with the £15,000
he spent trying to get his players to Anaheim in California
during the British Airways strike, and which has left him far
beyond budget.
But most of all he would like a response from British Airways, of
whom he made critical remarks while his team was becoming
stranded all over the United States.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
“There was no co-operation and no information - even though
we were in a special situation,” Wright alleged. “Even if
someone had said ’we can see the problem, but we can’t help‘,
that would have been better”.
“It‘s not so much that we‘ve lost the money, it’s blown us off
course,” said Wright, who must be concerned about the
increased pressure it has placed upon meeting targets which
affect funding.
“But we asked for a little bit of help and got nothing. To offer us
flights on the Thursday was a little insulting. And when we got
to the US, that was the final destination for us.”
It was hard to avoid being negative, but he tried. “At least we
got everyone there on time, everyone fulfilled their
commitments and the players remained very positive,” he said.
It resulted in his team taking nine different routes and after
landing in the US, making their ways onward, any way they
could. They went to Boston, Houston, New York, Atlanta,
Chicago, and Las Vegas, but none reached Los Angeles easily.
“The reaction of people back home has been a bit mixed. But I
want to put this behind us and make sure our Commonwealth
Games preparation is right. I would rather get on with getting
on,” he added wisely. But the difficult business of compensation
may linger for a while yet.
Nobody had a journey of less than 30 hours, and four
players had to hire a limo all the way from Las Vegas to
Los Angeles.
There was no chance to recover and acclimatise and most
began competing almost immediately in a time zone eight
hours different. “We were in a complete mess,” admits Wright.
It was not easy for BA to comment in detail, but a spokesperson
said: “If they were stranded, of course we’re sorry. If they feel
they weren‘t treated properly we will look at it on a case by
case basis.“
>They did, only for Robertson, attempting a simple movement
in practice, to fall and tear ligaments in his right ankle. It
seemed so innocuous that onlookers thought he was playing
up. Instead the Olympic silver medalist was left with facing
three weeks’ inaction and no tournaments until the Danish
Open in the third week in October.
Not even then was disaster complete. England‘s next best
chance of a medal, Robert Blair and Natalie Munt, was also
ruined by injury. Blair‘s shin stress fracture had always
made it a risk to take him, and after just one match it
deteriorated too much for him to continue.
The most consolation came from Aamir Ghaffar. The English
national champion was not sent to the Olympics, but now
08 | BADMINTONMAGAZINE September 2005
An even bigger blow was to come, one so cruelly timed that
even the least superstitious might have felt as though some
strange hex had been placed on England.
Wright splashed out £4,000 for upgraded flights for Nathan
Robertson and Gail Emms, to ensure that the favourites to
earn England’s first gold medal for 22 years would at least
arrive in reasonable time. >
scored the best win by an English player and the best of his
career, a 15-1, 15-7 second round success over the Olympic
silver medalist from Korea, Shon Seung-Mo.
“He had no answer to my straight smash,” said Ghaffar, who
gave credit to Lee Jae Bok, the Korean who is a former British
Olympic coach and whom England recently re-acquired.
Next round, however, Ghaffar had his 26th birthday spoilt by
Kenneth Jonassen, who beat him 15-2, 15-4. The second-seeded
Dane had talked in a radio interview about the prospect of
playing Shon, and after Ghaffar’s surprise success had to be
called back from the hotel to re-record. Next day he seemed
keen to make up for wasted time.
England’s other number one, Tracey
Hallam, reached the women’s quarterfinals and although she was then beaten
11-3, 11-1 by the second-seeded Xie
Xinfang, she had at least justified her
seventh seeding.
worrying statistic for the health of the
sport. But there was a piece of history
which at least helped justify the choice of
venue and offers some cause for
optimism - the first world title won by the
United States.
Hallam was England’s last survivor,
though Gail Emms and Donna Kellogg
also reached a quarter-final, that of the
women’s doubles, and also earned two
wins, before losing to the top seeds, Yang
Wei and Zhang Yawen.
It was captured by Tony Gunawan and
Howard Bach, who unexpectedly beat
Gunawan’s former team-mates Sigit
Budiarti and Candra Wijaya (“Candra is
like a brother to me,” said Gunawan).
The most significant upset came from
Taufik Hidayat, the Olympic champion
from Indonesia, who beat a disappointing
Lin Dan, the top seed from China, 15-3,
15-7, to win the men’s singles title,
afterwards warning that the Yonex
All-England was now his target.
The Chinese again managed to spread
the titles around their squad, Xie
Xingfang acquiring her first major by
overcoming her compatriot Zhang Ning,
the holder, in a bloodless final.
Asia took all but three of the medals,
Europe managing just two bronzes, a
Before the winners got on to podium, the
song ‘Born in the USA’ was played, which
Gunawan conspicuously wasn‘t. Instead
the former Indonesian star became the
first player to win world titles for two
different countries.
RESULTS
Men’s Singles: Taufik Hidayat (INA) bt
Lin Dan (CHN) 15-3, 15-7
Men’s Doubles: Tony Gunawan and
Howard Bach (USA) bt Candra Wijaya and
Sigit Budiarto (INA) 15-11, 10-15, 15-11
Women’s Singles: Xingfang Xie (CHN) bt
Ning Zhang (CHN) 11-8, 9-11, 11-3
Women’s Doubles: Wei Yang and Jiewen
Zhang (CHN) bt Ling Gao and Sui Huang
(CHN) 15-5, 15-8
Mixed Doubles: Nova Widianto and
Lilyana Natsir (INA) bt Zhongbo Xie and
Yawen Zhang (CHN) 13-15, 15-8, 15-2
PLAYER PROFILE AAMIR GHAFFAR
Aamir Ghaffar came to badminton prominence in 2001
when he made his International debut for England
against China. Four years later the enigmatic Ghaffar
of Pakistan origin is the country’s highest ranked
singles player, a responsibility which carries the weight
of English expectation.
Age:
Born:
26
Peshawar, Pakistan
Height:
6ft 1in
Coach:
Steve Butler
Current England Ranking:
Highest World Ranking:
Ambition:
1
27
Top 5 in the World
Ghaffar always seems to have a good
time, smiling and talking a lot: “I think I’m
lucky to have an Asian background and to
live in Europe. Because of my roots, I’m
given lots of coverage on Asian TV
channels, which are also watched by
audiences in Europe” says Ghaffar.
Ghaffar’s best World ranking to date has
been twenty-seven but he hopes to rise
into the top twenty by the end of the year.
“Men’s singles is very unpredictable these
days. Even in large tournaments, it’s
happened that the highest-ranked player
is eliminated in the first round. Before,
two or three players dominated the
tournaments. Now there are 25 players
who are capable of beating each other at
any time. The games are tough and the
outcomes hard to predict” Ghaffar added.
“The differences between the players
are due to tiny factors. One player might
be lucky in the draw, while another has a
good day in an important match. You’ve
just got to keep beating higher ranked
players. Then you get the selfconfidence you need. In the end, success
always comes down to self-confidence. If
you play badly all year, your selfconfidence is gone”
First represented England:
2001 against China.
Club: Racing Club de France, Paris. I have
been playing for them for the last three
years, travelling over to France when we
have matches. Because of all the
international events we play, it means I
get to represent them only 4-5 weekends
a year.
County: Middlesex. I have represented
them at all age groups, so I really feel
part of the set up. I still play for the
County sometimes.
Age when first played badminton: 8. It
was my father who got me playing.
What racket do you use: The new Wilson
nCode n3.
What do you like about your Wilson
Racket? It complements my style of play.
I am an all-court player that likes to
attack, so I like to have the control over
the shuttle when playing my shots. The
new nanotechnology introduced by
Wilson gives the racket more stability,
more strength and delivers more power
for my attacking shots. It also gives me
huge confidence as I know that I have
beaten top 10 players with it. This means
that I’m not distracted from a game by
worrying about my racket and I can fully
focus on beating my opponent.
Internationals: 25 England Caps. I first
represented England against China in
2001. Despite losing, it was a great
experience. I remember it being hard for
me as the match fell during Ramadan
which meant I had to fast all day.
Career High: Beating Bao Chunlai at the
All England Championships in 2004.
It was the first time I had beaten one of
the top players, so it was really exciting.
I also won the Stuart Wyatt Award that
year for the best performance by an
England player at the All England – as it’s
not necessarily awarded every year, that
was very special. Another high was
winning my first National Championship
Title against Colin Haughton the then
England No.1. I had played him a few
times previously and in nearly all those
matches I was in a winning position but
lost. The 2004 Nationals though was the
first time I converted a winning
situation. Also he was playing in front of
his home crowd.
Career Low: My biggest disappointment
was missing out on last year’s Olympics.
I hadn’t been playing well at the end of
2003, but really found my form in 2004.
Unfortunately, I just ran out of
tournaments to improve my ranking,
which was really disappointing.
Past hero in badminton: Darren Hall,
I really liked his professional attitude to
the sport.
Other sporting heroes: Mohammad Ali
and Shahid Afridi, the cricketer.
Other sports you follow: I love watching
cricket and I follow Arsenal.
Things you would most like to see
change in the sport: I want to see the
profile of the sport raised as much as
possible. We have a great opportunity
after the results at the last Olympics.
BADMINTON England are doing a good
job and the more they keep promoting
the events, the more the sport will be
able to grow in this country.
A DAY IN A LIFE OF
AAMIR GHAFFAR
When I was younger I used to catch the train from
home to High Wycombe every day. This took me
around two hours one way and was very tiring. Now we
are based at the National Badminton Centre at Milton
Keynes, life is a lot easier. We have nice
accommodation right next door to
where we train.
Though I train every day, the kind of
training I do depends on where I am in
the season. I get up at 7am and have
breakfast before I start training. Squad
sessions are usually held between
10:30–12:30 but I have always done an
extra session, so I fit that in and around
the squad sessions, normally between
08:00–09:00. The first 2-hour squad
session in the morning is followed by a
two-hour break for lunch and an
afternoon session from 14:30–16:30. I am
usually quite tired after that so if I don’t
have to see a physio or have other
commitments, I have supper at 18:00 and
then usually just chill out, watch a movie
or something like that and go to bed.
The coach decides what shape the squad
sessions take. Generally, this breaks down
into longer sessions during the off season
so we build up our core fitness. These
sessions become shorter as we approach
and go through the season.
The shorter, sharper sessions include
anything from biometric sessions,
skipping, swimming, weights and running,
while the on-court work sees us playing
more than five sets at a time. The reason
for playing five sets or more is that it
equates to around three sets at
international tournament level. This is
because there isn’t so much of the
mental and emotional side in training.
When it comes to tournaments, I usually
travel a week before the start of an event
if it’s in the Far East or North America. On
the other hand, if the event is in Europe
or doesn’t involve any big
time difference, I’ll travel the
day before.
Once I’m at the event I get to
know who I am playing and
when. So depending on when
I am playing, I’ll eat breakfast
either 90 minutes before the
start of the match if I am
playing in the morning and
lunch about two hours before
the start of my match if it’s
in the afternoon.
I always look to get to the
venue about an hour before
the scheduled start of my
match to warm up and
continue my match
preparations.
If you get a good run going in
a tournament then you are on
court everyday, so it’s
important to switch on and off
to conserve not only your
physical energy, but also your
mental energy.
Bisi GETS BETTER!
The ‘Bisi’ programme, from BADMINTON England, the sport’s governing body, has always been designed to grow the game in
schools and clubs. We want more children and young people to play badminton – and to develop their skills. Bisi has helped
thousands of teachers, coaches and parents to get kids started.
BADMINTON England is now giving Bisi a new look!
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
To meet the new standards set in badminton’s Long Term Athlete Development
programme, and thus to help find and develop talented players for the future.
To provide top quality teaching and learning ideas for the new generation of
schools and clubs.
To update the Bisi resource packs and products to meet the needs of teachers,
coaches and young people today.
Talbot Torro is BADMINTON England’s Bisi equipment partner. Talbot Torro provide a range of equipment for players of all ages and
skills – including rackets, shuttles, nets and posts. These are all recommended to support the BADMINTON England Junior Player
programme. Products are priced competitively, great for correct technique and enjoyment!
Bisi Mini - 21"
Great starter racket
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Bisi Mini - 23"
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Bisi Mini - 25"-27"
Light aluminium head with durable
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105 grams.
Bisi Carbon
Lightweight,
aluminium head.
Carbon graphite
shaft. 90 grams.
Bisi Graphite
One piece 100%
graphite.
Mid-flexibility shaft.
92 grams.
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85 grams.
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Men’s sizes: 6 - 13
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Non-marking rubber & Formula 1 toe bumper.
Men’s sizes: 6 - 13
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ADRENALIN PRO
MEN’S & WOMEN’S
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
Contact Gerry Cronin on 01908 268400
[email protected]
Web site and online registration for clubs
And now for something completely different . . .
We have made progress on our web site, and this season, for the first
time, clubs will be able to register their players online. The project will
progress in the future to be able to take money electronically, but for this
season there will still be a need for a cheque. Full details are in your
renewal pack. Your club will also be able to self-publish the details about
your club on our web site – we will be linking this to league information
etc as we progress the project.
One of our members (who wished to remain anonymous) describes his
experience on how (and how not to) knock up . . .
PUBLIC
LIABILITY
INSURANCE
WWW.BADMINTON
REWARDS.CO.UK
DISCOUNT ON
TICKETS
ENTER SENIOR
INTER-COUNTY
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Senior Club
Member (SCM)
£8.30
4
4
4
4
4
Junior Club
Member (JCM)
£4.15
4
4
4
4
4
Junior Club
£41.30
–
4
4
–
ONcourt senior
£14.50
4
4
ONcourt junior
£7.25
4
4
Courtside
£7.25
New Individual
category (Gold)
£19.00
2005/06 FEE
MAGAZINE
New season – fees: yes, it’s still cheap!
4
4
4
4
4
–
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
–
–
–
tba
Affiliated clubs also get:
BADMINTON England handbook
Insurance cover for officials (conditions apply)
Eligible for Clubmark (Sport England accreditation)
Access to the BADMINTON England shuttle scheme
Assistance with Awards for all applications
Support from the Development Network of RDMs and BDOs
Free listing on the BADMINTON England web site – with facility
to self-publish
- online registration of club members by secretary
Once-upon-a-time (not that long ago), I used to Coach a Junior County
Squad on a weekly basis. One of my start of term “hobby-horse” diatribes
was to inform the group about the importance of knocking-up properly
before playing, or training (obviously as part of a structured warm-up
process). “There are no prizes for winning the knock-up”.
A knock-up varies from coach to coach but I used to start with some
gentle court length clears to begin with, using very little effort from the
shoulder muscles and relying upon the correct hitting technique.
The knock-up could then develop into lifts and drops, net shots, paced
smashes and blocks, some mid-court work etc. The knock-up should be a
progressive experience ending up with full court clears and full-blooded
smashes but at the player (with the intention of receiving a block) rather
than away from the player simply to score a point and watch them pick-up
the shuttle.
On a recent experience at a local Club night, having said hello to the two
assembled players (it was only five to eight), I borrowed a visitors’ peg
from the biscuit tin on the floor and placed it on the board in the waiting
queue. I was immediately shepherded onto court by one of the gents.
Taking my position across the net, I hoisted-up a high serve cum-feed and
waited in anticipation for the return. I received a rather full-blooded clear
in response which pushed me right to the back of the court. My muscles
and I were hoping for a more gentle reintroduction to the sport,
nevertheless, I cleared the shuttle back to my friend across the net. He
then shaped-up as if to smash the shuttle but taking me by surprise, my
opponent checked his smash and executed a rather deceptive cross-court
drop-shot instead.
-
I watched as the shuttle hit the floor and looked-up at my opponent. He
stood grinning at me with an air of triumph on his face and even emitted
a small chuckle as I walked up to the shuttle and picked it back up. This
sequence continued for several further frustrating rallies until we were
joined by the gent with the mobile phone (he came on my side of the net).
“Perhaps we might get a decent knock-up now” (I mused) but alas, my
new partner received similar treatment to myself.
Insurance
As a newcomer to the club (and not wanting to upset anyone) I held my
tongue. However, I was still rather rattled by my treatment and by my lack
of a proper knock-up and decided to put extra effort into our ensuing
game which we won 15 – 4. Suffice to say that I gave my “knock-up
buddy” plenty of shuttle on this occasion (mostly at his head and body).
As part of your membership of BADMINTON England you get insurance –
it is Civil Liability insurance. £5m civil liability any one occurrence and
topped up to £10 million for public liability cover. This covers you whilst
playing badminton. Officials of your club are also covered (restrictions
apply), and visitors who are interested in joining your club are covered for
up to 6 “taster” sessions.
Remember, if you want Personal Accident cover, that’s an optional extra.
As we walked-off, I overheard him comment to his partner “I didn’t think
he looked that good in the knock-up”. I smiled to myself as I reached in
my bag for a drink - no prizes for winning the knock-up mate!
Send your letters to: Gerry Cronin, BADMINTON England, National Badminton Centre, Milton Keynes MK8 9LA
OBITUARIES
Malcolm David Simpson Ganner 1919 – 2005
Malcolm sadly passed away on Monday June 13th. Malcolm’s early years were
spent in Worthing, West Sussex until joining the RAF where his service was
spent mostly in Egypt and Palestine. During this time he met and married his
beloved wife, Joyce, they were married for 62 years. It was at Treloar’s that he
started the badminton club and became involved in the leagues resulting in a
relationship of over 25 years in local and county badminton. He was a vice
president of the Hampshire B.A and the Alton league and was often seen at
many tournaments and county matches.
Sport played a major part in Malcolm’s lifetime; he selfishly strove to make it
possible for other’s to enjoy their sport whatever their ability and leaves
behind many happy memories.
Gillian Scott 1945 – 2005
Gillian Scott (nee White), one of the stalwarts of Wiltshire Badminton died on
June 29th at the age of 65. As a player, Gillian made 203 consecutive
appearances for the county first team and also competed at the All England
Championships on two occasions. She won 39 titles at the Wiltshire Restricted
Championships, including 20 mixed doubles titles with her brother, Brian.
In 1971 she took over as Treasurer and Match Secretary of the Wiltshire C.B.A,
remaining in those positions until shortly before her death. In 2004 she
succeeded her late mother, Morva, as County president. She was a member of
the Badminton Umpires Association and in 1994 she was given the English
Badminton Award for her services to the sport.
She is survived by her husband, Brian.
LONDON 2012
Badminton’s Olympic Opportunity
It is the biggest triumph in British sporting history. And maybe bigger for
badminton than any other sport. It has already provided the biggest boost since the
days of George Thomas, Betty Uber, long flannels, and flowing skirts, when the aim
of the game was often thought to be to teach foreigners how to behave.
As London’s name was borne inside an
envelope on a masonic-like ceremonial
cushion by a Singapore naval cadet and
announced after a teasing delay as the
venue for the 2012 Games, some famous
Britons in a former imperial outpost were
seen behaving very uncharacteristically.
People who did not really know each
other very well grabbed hold and
hugged, life-long stoics cried, Red Ken
danced with True Blue Seb, and as the
advent of heaven was accompanying the
return of the Olympics to London after
64 years, a lion and a lamb would
undoubtedly have lain down together.
These emotions were intensified because
the surprise of London’s victory
remained a surprise till the very last.
Witnessing it from near the front of The
Raffles ballroom was Andrew Ryan, the
chief operating officer of the
International Badminton Federation
who, you may be surprised to learn,
worked (unpaid) as part of the
successful bid team.
“The photographers usually get a
whisper of who has won and there were
about 30 of them in front of the Paris
delegation and only five in front of us.
That made the announcement an
extraordinary occasion and I shall never
forget it,” said Ryan, who will spend the
next seven years as a sports consultant.
Although this will take Ryan away from
badminton much of the time, he
nevertheless believes he will be
marvelling at the effect of the 2012
Games on the sport in which he worked
for 17 years. “The biggest benefit of
hosting an Olympics comes where there
is already a strong culture for a
particular sport,” he said.
“Badminton has gone from strength to
strength in Beijing (venue for the 2008
Games) since it was awarded the
Olympics. And because it is strong in
Britain, badminton could well be one of
the winners. There was no doubt it was
the IBF’s favoured bid.”
Everything will depend upon how
badminton here takes advantage of the
situation. BADMINTON England will be
doing exactly that if its new National
Head Coach, Ian Wright, has his way.
With a strange but fortunate irony he
had been involved with the logistics of
the Paris 2012 bid, leaving him well
placed to make comparisons. “Funding at
the moment is quite short term (in
Britain), but now I hope the structure will
change and some money will be made
available for athletes with potential for
2012,” Wright said. “I have just come
from working in France, so I know what
structure they would have had. They
were going to put a lot of money into
badminton and I hope Britain will now do
the same thing and that there will be
support for potential medallists.”
“Being an Anglo-Saxon sport, badminton
should be one of those which will be
better supported and I certainly hope it
will give motivation to players in the
system at the moment.”
Eric Brown, the acting chief executive of
BADMINTON England, commented ”As a
Londoner, I was not only pleased for
London, but badminton and sport as a
whole. It is a tremendous opportunity
particularly for all young players.”
Ouseph, an 18-year-old from Southall
who has become the first Englishman for
20 years to win the European junior
singles title, has funding for the next two
years from an Olympic scholarship but
this might now be dramatically extended.
His whole outlook has been altered. “My
immediate goal is to improve my fitness
but now I also have a seven-year plan in
my mind,” Ouseph said.
London 2012 could also prove a great
opportunity for Michelle Cheung, the
16-year-old who is developing into a
potential England number one but some
of the oldies could benefit too, especially
as winning medals in the dragon’s den in
Beijing in 2008 will be the toughest
possible ask.
Nathan Robertson especially could still
be performing well in his 30s and could
decide to prolong his career. “I am
looking forward to talking to him about
it,” said Wright.
Other wonderful possibilities are
suddenly emerging. “Being so close to
London, our superb national badminton
centre in Milton Keynes will be a key
facility in the preparation of the
British squad.”
He also knows that the IBF would now
look favourably upon any English bid for
a world championship and that funding
for national league may be in the
pipeline. And the sport’s declining media
profile has a chance to improve again.
and more youngsters in their teams will
be deciding to go out there and try.”
Yes - but what about the money? Will
there be more of it for badminton?
“The funding issue is uncertain at the
moment but I don’t think anyone in sport
doesn’t think that there will be more
funding for sport at all levels,” Baddeley
said carefully. “There will be a knock-on
effect from the government down to
local authorities.”
It was cagey, but, decoded, a message
was there. Badminton has an opportunity
to build a new era.
But will everyone work themselves into a
froth of enthusiasm, only for it to be
blown away by the first winds of
economic reality? Well placed to attempt
an answer is Stephen Baddeley, the
former European and Commonwealth
Champion, former Badminton Chief
Executive, and now the Director of Sport
for Sport England.
Even though he has responsibility for all
sports, and has to pick his words
carefully, Baddeley’s concern for
badminton glows through. “The biggest
effects of a London Olympics will be the
inspiration it provides,” he said.
“It is one of the top participatory sports
in this country and this is a massive
opportunity. People will be wanting to
flow through and get involved and it’s a
question of building an extensive
development network, to make sure the
sport is able to meet that demand.”
“The biggest impact will be in getting
hundreds of thousands to take up the
sport and play. But there’s no doubt the
Olympics also provides inspiration for
extra talent to stay within the sport, and
this will help the standard.”
“We will get parents, schools, clubs, and
local authorities. And we want to back
talented youngsters.”
“There is an increased chance of medals
because of home advantage, and more
BRAND NEW
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Carlton rackets are used and
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Carlton’s newest racket
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Top of the range for 2005 is the
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and Carlton’s Flex System to
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To suit all player types Carlton’s
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For more information visit:
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e-badminton™ M3carbon
A review of some new
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Carlton Airblade Elite
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Molecular engineering is a
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featured on their top of the range
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The e-badminton™ M3carbon
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RACKET REVIEW
MANCHESTER LEADING BY EXAMPLE
When David Beckham left Manchester for Madrid two years ago, something strange
occurred which showed how sinister the economic world has become for badminton
and many other so-called smaller sports.
Forza’s concept is to always
produce rackets of quality and
durability, from the very basic
rackets to the top of the range.
Forza is at the cutting edge of
technology, which is why it is the
market leader in Denmark and is
looking to replicate this in the UK.
Titanium CONTROL range: The
computerised shaft, slim frames,
and woven titanium reduces
flexibility and optimises control.
Kevlar POWER range: The
computerised shaft, wide body
frame, and woven Kevlar increases
flexibility and optimises power.
Asia Amour LIGHT range: The
computerised shaft and Amour
tech reinforcement built into the
top of the racket gives more power
and extra stability/strength, and
maintains a very light balance.
The Inflight Centrifuge badminton
rackets are a breakthrough for
innovation and simplicity. Both
rackets use the successful
Opti-Ridge stabilisers and now
Inflight have added their new
Centrifuge stringing pattern
where the strings subtly get
closer together as they move
towards the sweet spot.
This is achieved WITHOUT
additional horizontal or vertical
strings. The result is 24% more
string in the hitting zone creating
a much tighter feel of the string
bed. After only minutes of testing,
it is quite easy to feel the results
of these innovations more POWER!
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Oliver, one of Europe’s leading
badminton brands, have been
producing rackets since 1938 and
continue to set new standards in
modern racket technology.
Lead racket in the new Centric
series is the Oliver Centric K5, an
ultra lightweight 85 gram racket,
with unsurpassed aerodynamics
and manoeuvrability, featuring an
aerodynamic Isometric Hi-Tension
frame with Concave Power Groove
design, MetricTech™ Flex System
and Oliver’s unique MetaCarbon
construction.
Designed for players seeking the
highest levels of power and
control, the new Oliver Centric
series also includes the Centric K4
and Centric K3, both rackets
sharing Oliver’s latest and unique
technical advances, combining
performance with eye-catching
fashionable styling.
Wilson n5
Oliver Centric K5
Inflight Centrifuge Elite
Forza
British journalists were sent to base
themselves in the Spanish capital not as
sports correspondents, not even principally
as football writers, but as Beckham
correspondents. If he coughed or blinked it
made a few words, and if he and his wife
looked in opposite directions it could make
the front page.
The n5, is part of the exciting new
nCode™ range from Wilson.
nCode™ is an exclusive Wilson
technology that takes racket
performance to the next level.
Nano-sized silicone oxide crystals
permeate the natural voids
between the carbon fibres to
give the racket greater strength.
This technology helps release
untapped performance from
within the racket to deliver
unparalleled stability,
greater frame integrity and
explosive power.
The new range also features a
new raised T-Joint. This new
T-joint gives the racket more
torsional stability as a graphite
shank underneath reduces head
twisting on off centre shots
It signalled changes which had already been
taking place in sport and which were
accelerating in media coverage too.
Beckham had become more important than
his sport and, for a brief period, possibly
more important than sport itself.
What Tom Finney, a past Lancastrian hero
and England soccer star, would have
thought of it might have been impossible
for him publicly to express. Finney was able
to kick equally well with either foot, to head
the ball very competently, and to play in
several different positions, and yet he often
travelled to the ground on the local bus.
Sport has been so annexed by the
entertainment industry that it is often less
about the action than the manufacture of
image and the movement of money; its
journalism not so much about the flow of
play but personalities and the chat.
It is not always easy for the public to
express what they think of this either. What
people buy does not always represent what
they really want and the market can cause
the sidelining of many minority interests
which in total comprise a majority.
The Premiership has become an octopus.
Its tentacles spread everywhere, stifling and
strangling other sports by denying them the
life-blood of publicity and indirectly
therefore income and funding too.
Badminton remains one of the most popular
participatory sports and yet its media
profile has shrunk to a shadowy caricature.
It received sudden great bursts of attention
when Archer and Goode won an Olympic
bronze medal in Sydney and again when
Robertson and Emms got a silver in Athens.
Otherwise there has been a danger of its
profile fading away.
Now however, in a significant affray with
the octopus, one of its tentacles has
been deflected. It has happened in a
creative aftermath to the 2002
Commonwealth Games, with a clever way
of diversifying capital.
Since then badminton has twice held its
English national championships in
Manchester, but less well-known are some
of the other developments.
Over 120 schools are now offering
badminton as an extra-curricular activity,
more than 20 coaches are involved in the
sport’s development, and, according to
the badminton development officer
Daniel Orrell, “We are now beginning to
see clear player pathways from
beginners through to community clubs,
advanced coaching sessions, county and
potentially national squads.”
This is something of a revelation. Perhaps
revealing a pattern for the future. Because
this post-Games formula appears to be
working elsewhere.
By similar methods Manchester has been
accumulating a polyglot of sports and now
hosts seven national championships, all
operating similarly to the badminton model.
How has it happened? Through a unique
partnership between Manchester City
Council and Manchester City Football Club
over the increased revenue at the
Commonwealth Games Sport City site.
“Football tends to push everything to one
side,“ said Yawar Abbas, Sport City’s
programming officer. “But this is a very
good way of utilising the increased revenue
which has been generated by Sport City.“
In addition to accelerating the development
of badminton, Manchester has been able to
help squash, athletics, womens’ football and
disability sports, and create an all-yearround “Festival of Sport” at the site.
It means that revenues also go to the
community. It can therefore contribute to
tackling social issues - particularly crime,
youth problems, and health, about which
the government is concerned - increasing
the chances of funding for other initiatives.
It was alleged that Manchester may not
have had a sufficiently glamorous
international image to defeat Sydney for
the 2000 Games. But its provincial tradition
of good husbandry, possibly a mixed
blessing for an Olympic bid, may now be
loosening an oligopoly which threatens
sport’s diversity. And that could become a
more important achievement.
The n5 has a medium flex making
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NATIONALRANKINGS 2005
08
1
MENS Aamir
SINGLES GHAFFAR
County
Middlesex
World No 21
1
WOMENS Tracy
HALLAM
County
Staffordshire
SINGLES
World No 7
2
Nicholas
3
Andrew
2
Elizabeth
3
Julia
KIDD
SMITH
CANN
MANN
World No 31
World No 32
World No 23
World No 49
4
Nathan
5
Toby
4
Jill
5
Julie
RICE
HONEY
PITTARD
STANDLEY
World No 45
World No 48
World No 32
World No 128
County
Avon
County
Hampshire
County
Buckinghamshire
MENS 1
DOUBLES
County
Surrey
County
Leicestershire
Robert
BLAIR
Robertson & Blair
World No 17
County
Jersey
County
Warkwickshire
County
Warkwickshire
County
Avon
1
WOMENS Gail
EMMS
County
Hertfordshire
DOUBLES
Emms & Kellogg
World No 8
2
Simon
3
Nathan
2
Donna
ARCHER
ROBERTSON
KELLOGG
TRIPP
Archer & Clark
World No 24
Robertson & Blair
World No 17
Emms & Kellogg
World No 8
Tripp & Wright
World No 10
4
Anthony
5
Kristian
4
Joanne
5
Natalie
CLARK
ROEBUCK
WRIGHT
MUNT
Archer & Clark
World No 24
Roebuck & Lindley
World No 22
Tripp & Wright
World No 10
Hallam & Munt
World No 27
County
Worcestershire
County
Nottinghamshire
County
Nottinghamshire
County
Derbyshire
County
Derbyshire
County
Lancashire
3
Ella
County
Cheshire
County
Hertfordshire
MENS
MIXEDDOUBLES
1
Nathan
2
Robert
3
Anthony
2
Natalie
3
Donna
BLAIR
CLARK
MUNT
KELLOGG
Blair & Munt
World No 8
Clark & Kellogg
World No 14
Blair & Munt
World No 8
Clark & Kellogg
World No 14
4
Kristian
5
David
4
Liza
5
Suzanne
ROEBUCK
LINDLEY
PARKER
RAYAPPAN
Roebuck & Parker
World No 20
Lindley & Rayappan
World No 22
Roebuck & Parker
World No 20
Lindley & Rayappan
World No 22
County
Leicestershire
County
Derbyshire
County
Nottinghamshire
ROBERTSON
Robertson & Emms
World No 1
County
Nottinghamshire
County
Nottinghamshire
WOMENS
1
County
Hertfordshire
Gail
MIXEDDOUBLES EMMS
Robertson & Emms
World No 1
County
Hertfordshire
County
Hertfordshire
County
Derbyshire
County
Hertfordshire
For the latest rankings visit www.badmintonengland.co.uk
ENJOY OUR SHOES
SARAH FITZ-GERALD
ON BADMINTON
Sarah Fitz-Gerald from Melbourne, Australia is regarded by
many as the finest female squash player of all time. In a
record breaking 2002, Fitz-Gerald won the Gold Medal at the
Commonwealth Games in Manchester; extended her World Tour
haul to a record sixty-four titles; helped Australia to reclaim the
Women’s World Team Championships in Denmark; and then went
on to successfully defend the World Championship title for a
record five times.
Off-court, Sarah stunned the sports world by scoring a
remarkable double at the 2002 Australian Sports Awards –
winning both the ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ and the overall
‘Sports Personality of the Year’, ahead of tennis player Lleyton
Hewitt, swimmer Ian Thorpe and cricketer Steve Waugh.
BADMINTON MAGAZINE caught up
with the 5 time World Squash Champion
to talk about her thoughts on the future
of badminton.
Since announcing your retirement in
2002 what have you been up to?
I have continued playing the sport I love
through promotion, exhibition, league and
non-ranking events. Dunlop, Hi-Tec and
sportdiscount.com have continued to
sponsor me as their brand ambassador,
for which I feel privileged.
SHO-06B
Have you ever played badminton, either
for fun or as another form of
fitness/training?
I have played for fun quite a few times
and have loved the speed of play, the
agility and strength required. In many
respects badminton is very similar to
squash but in Australia squash and tennis
have a higher profile and therefore I
gravitated towards these sports in my
youth as opposed to badminton.
Both squash and badminton are
physically demanding sports. Do you
feel the sports have similarities?
SHO-06S
Both sports require so much leg and lower
back strength, as they both demand that
the player twists, turns, lunges and stops
all in one movement. I am sure both
sports put the same stresses on the lower
body and require similar training methods.
Fitness levels required for both sports are
extremely high.
With London being awarded the 2012
Olympics what impact do you think
this will have on racket sports, and in
particular badminton, within the UK?
The Olympics had a massive impact on
Sydney across all sports and I don’t think
the significance that the Games will have
within the UK can be underestimated.
Unfortunately squash has missed out for
London but I am sure it will be a major
boost for badminton and hope that
everyone involved in the sport realises
that this is a great opportunity to gain
increased support and sponsorship.
Encouraging young players and creating
the best training staff and programs
should be the ultimate incentive for all
the new rising players.
You dominated your sport for many
years and now badminton has Nathan
and Gail. What do you think it is that
makes you able to succeed as a World
No.1 and/or elite athlete?
It is the difference of knowing and
believing. All top athletes know they
have the capability of being good at
their sport, but believing you are better
and working harder to reach that
position is the key. I believed in my
ability, my training, mental strength and
physical fitness one hundred percent.
Through my beliefs I became dominant
in the minds of my opponents before we
even walked on court.
The pace of badminton and squash is
extremely quick – do you think
watching these sports on the television
gives them justice to how fast these
games are played?
Badminton is great spectator viewing but
as with all fast racket sports, televising
the events has its challenges to depict
the athletes’ speed and movement.
In badminton the camera can get closer
Sarah Fitz-Gerald, 5 time World Squash Champion.
to the action and players, whereas in
squash the camera has to look through
glass walls. Hopefully new broadcasting
techniques, in particular the use of slow
motion, will allow matches to be televised
more easily. Badminton, as with squash,
needs to work continually with
broadcasters on developing techniques to
improve this, as at present the camera
really does not depict the speed at which
the player reacts or the speed of the
shuttle/ball.
Badminton is the largest racket
participation sport in the world. In this
country the majority of BADMINTON
England members are over 40 – does
this surprise you?
I have been fortunate to travel a lot
around the world and in Asia badminton
is very different from the other countries.
Everyone in Asia seems to play and
therefore being the world’s number one
racket sport doesn’t really surprise me.
I would guess that the average age in
England comes from the high percentage
of people who play doubles, opposed to
the sport not attracting younger players.
Can you see yourself turning to
badminton instead of squash when you
reach 40?!
I would like to continue to play squash for
as long as possible and do not see myself
necessarily converting to badminton, but
having said that I would certainly love to
try and play again with friends – maybe
when I’m older!!
Sarah Fit-Gerald was in conversation with
Rachel Pullan of iSPORTmarketing™ for
BADMINTON MAGAZINE.
COUNTY
ROUND UP
Warwickshire go into the 2005/6 season, the 69th in the history of the ICC as
defending Champions for the first time. It was a great achievement, they are now
in an elite group of only eight other counties and the first ‘new’ winners since
Hertfordshire in 1991-92. But a successful defence of the title will be even more
difficult than that first win.
CHAMPIONS – YORKSHIRE
Yorkshire must be favourites to regain the
title, amazingly since the inception of the
Premiership they have never finished
lower than runners up and they are quietly
confident for the new season. They have
great strength in depth throughout singles
and doubles, a great combination of youth
and experience and generally (the opening
weekend of last season being an
exception) get the majority of their players
to turn out each weekend.
2ND – WARWICKSHIRE
Warwickshire were rewarded for their
great ambition last season and have
some big guns who are rarely going to
be beaten in the ICC such as Julia Mann,
Jill Pittard and Mark Constable.
Warwickshire might find it tough to get
all their players out each weekend but
they have some quality in depth to call
on in Chris Roe, Carl Goode, Mark
Sellwood and Claire Millward.
3rd – LANCASHIRE
Lancashire could be real title contenders
if they can just add a little depth to their
squad. A lot depends on Jo Wright but
Lancashire might find it tough to get her
on the team sheet due to clashes with
international fixtures.
4th – AVON
Avon are a younger side than most of the
title contenders with lots of talent, good
leadership and a great team spirit. If
Avon’s England star Nick Kidd can be
available they could really do some
damage but like the other teams with
England players that is going to be tough
with the Commonwealth Games in March
and European Championships in April.
Hardcastle and Caroline Westley as well
as older hands such as Peter Jeffrey and
Karina Bryant who are still tough to beat.
6th HERTFORDSHIRE
Hertfordshire have an embarrassment of
riches in Gail Emms, Natalie Munt, Liza
Parker, Suzanne Rayappan, Kelly
Matthews and Rachel Howard but can
never be sure how many, if any at all,
they will be able to get on court.
7th GLOUCESTERSHIRE
The availability for Gloucestershire of
recently retired internationals Ian
Sullivan and Rebecca Pantaney has been
of tremendous value. Rebecca’s skill and
leadership of the county makes them
dangerous customers but ultimately a
lack of depth could leave them the wrong
end of the table.
8th – SURREY
A young side with great potential
Surrey’s Haley Connor, Matt Honey, Chris
Langridge and Ben Beckman are all fine
young prospects supported by the
experienced Wendy Taylor. This season
may be a bit early for them to make a
real impact.
9th WORCESTERSHIRE
Promoted as runners up from Premier B
Worcestershire have some great players
in Tony and Lorraine Cole and a lot of
passion but the jump up to Premier A
from B has proved difficult for teams
recently.
10th – HAMPSHIRE
Lucky to avoid relegation last season due
to the fact that the Premier B Champions
Yorkshire 2 were ineligible for promotion,
Hampshire will be hoping for a stronger
campaign this season.
5th – ESSEX
I have a feeling that Essex have great
potential. They have a mixture of
talented young players such as Simon
Darren Parks
Events Manager, BADMINTON England
5MINUTEBREAK
CUMBRIA CLASSIC VETERAN
TOURNAMENT
The Sands Centre, Carlisle & St. Aidans
Sports Hall, Carlisle on Saturday 15th &
Sunday 16th October 2005.
Play commences at 9am on both days
Hon. Tournament Organiser and Referee:
Ian Graham Tel: 01946 815174
Hon. Tournament Secretary: Marian
McFegan Tel: 01768 866898
ASICS National Elite Opens
The 2005-2006 ASICS National Elite Open
circuit is made up of:
- September 3rd-4th – Yorkshire National
Elite Open (Institute of Sport, Sheffield)
- October 29th-30th – Sussex National Elite
Open (Dolphin, Haywards Heath)
- November 19th-20th – Wimbledon
National Elite Open (Wimbledon Racquets
and Fitness Club)
- December 14th – ASICS NATIONAL ELITE
OPEN CIRCUIT FINALS (English Institute
of Sport, Sheffield)
OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST JOINS THE
BADMINTON ACADEMY
Olympic Silver Medallist and World No.1
Nathan Robertson has joined the Badminton
Academy as an advisor to support the ongoing development of its junior players.
Nathan will bring exceptional talent, skills
and passion to The Academy with his role
focussing on training, developing and
improving young and rising stars.
QUALITY ‘FIRST’ FOR SOLIHULL
BADMINTON CLUB
Solihull and Shirley Badminton Club has
become the first in Greater Warwickshire to
be accredited in a National Award Scheme.
They Solihull badminton club were awarded
the ‘Sport England Clubmark’ accreditation
by achieving the ‘Badminton Silver Club’
BADMINTON England standard.
CELEBRATE YOUR VOLUNTEERS’
EFFORTS
Whatever the region and whatever the
sport, volunteers remain fundamental to the
success of development work.
Do not miss the opportunity to say thank
you or well done to someone who has
helped you. You might wish to show your
appreciation by nominating someone for the
Yonex Volunteer of the Year Award or
specifically for the Yonex Young Person of
the Year Award which is open to those
under 25 years of age. The closing date for
nominations is 31st October 2005. For
further information please contact Tammy
Sansome, BADMINTON England Volunteer
Co-ordinator by e-mailing:
[email protected]
Send your news to :
[email protected]

Badminton Magazine - September 2005

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