SIS Bids All A Warm Welcome

Our elegant diamond-shaped SIS (Singapore Indoor Stadium) once again opens its doors to the badminton fraternity for this year's special Super Series (SS) that will see the start of the players vying intensely for Beijing Olympics qualifying points.

Only the top ranked players are admitted to the main draw and many are trying hard to fight for admission through the qualifiers, with some having to play as many as three matches in a day - morning, afternoon and evening!

Former world number 1, Wong Choong Hann, was not spared either and he endured the ignominy of having to qualify for yet another SS because of the injury sustained to his Achilles tendon during the last Thomas Cup competition. This time WCH had only to play two matches in the qualifiers, which he won easily and even sailed through Round 1 yesterday by beating Richard Vaughan (Wales) 21-18, 21-16.

Here are some pictures on the venue:

thanks Loh for the photos!

i am surprised they are still doing construction near SIS. hasn't that been the case since 2004??

Yeah! It was started Year 2002 but it was not noticable at the beginning as most of the work were underground. This is for the underground Mass Rapid Transit (Train). It should be over before next year. But one more major construction (demolition of existing national outdoor stadium and re-construction of a new) will be commenced a few months later. It will take more 3-4 years. So it should not be surprised if you see them in next years also.:D

thanks Loh for the photos!

i am surprised they are still doing construction near SIS. hasn't that been the case since 2004??

Yeah! It was started Year 2002 but it was not noticable at the beginning as most of the work were underground. This is for the underground Mass Rapid Transit (Train). It should be over before next year. But one more major construction (demolition of existing national outdoor stadium and re-construction of a new) will be commenced a few months later. It will take more 3-4 years. So it should not be surprised if you see them in next years also.:D

oh i c. i thought they were just fixing the road...

but that's a good development. taking the taxi to the SIS was not very economical...

Next time, you may take a easy ride with the train to stadium.
No traffic, faster and cheaper too.

oh i c. i thought they were just fixing the road...

but that's a good development. taking the taxi to the SIS was not very economical...

...the query asked by kwun is somewhat discussed in one of last yr's S'pore Open's thread(involving Loh, kyiyu, myself and others). I believe in this link: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33674 ;)
Btw, yes, an MRT to and from Kallang(SIS) area would be much appreciated. I had the same experience of taking a taxi to and from Kallang(SIS) area, after studying the MRT route and realized the MRT service ended a few miles from SIS; and the only way for me to reach SIS, from that MRT Kallang stop, is either to take a bus or taxi or walk:p..thankfully taxis are pretty much abound there, albeit a bit on the costly side..:p:(

Most times the qualifying rounds receive scant attention. But the qualifiers really fought long and hard before four each from all the five events can advance to the main draw by having to play two to three matches in just one day.

Of a total 58 matches played, 22 matches or 38% went into rubber games, with 7 matches coming from the final round before the winners gained entry to the main draw.

Apart from Wong Choong Hann having to qualify, another great name is Zhou Mi, a former Singapore Open champion who is making a comeback from back injury and now representing Hong Kong. Whilst WCH made it to R2 yesterday, ZM was unfortunately knocked out by no other than ex-compatriot, Pi Hongyan (France #6) in three hard fought games, 19-21, 21-17, 22-20. Maybe Pi's request for time to attend to her ankle injury during the remaining few points made ZM lose her rhythm and focus. Many thought ZM should have won.

Local boy Aaron Tan caused a slight ripple when he overcame Indonesia's top junior, Tommy Sugiarto, son of Indonesia's former top singles player, Icuk Sugiarto, 11-2, 21-16, 21-19. But Aaron later succumbed to Vietnam's top player, Nguyen Tien Minh, 21-14, 21-15. NTM unfortunately lost to another up-and-coming Indonesian player, Alymshah in straight games for a slot in the main draw.

Other notable names that advanced included Lee Yun Hwa (Korea), Lydia Cheah (Malaysia) and Cheng Shao-Chieh (Taipeh) for WS. Only one Singapore WD pair made it to the main draw. Vanessa Neo and Shinta Mulia Sari did not have to play Fiona McKee and Charmaine Reid of Canada as the latter were promoted to the main draw, presumably because of late withdrawals. But the Singaporean pair managed to beat Ng Hui Lin and Woon Khe Wei (Malaysia) 23-21, 24-22 earlier.

Specially taken for Yannie are some pics on Malaysian player, Gan Teik Chai, in his XD partnership with Haw Chiou Hwee, who looks like Zhou Mi.

Lastly, there's a special BC member who was caught on camera holding a camera. Can you guess his name?

Lastly, there's a special BC member who was caught on camera holding a camera. Can you guess his name?
..Loh:cool: ..Looking at the pic, esp. the 1st pic, the player resembles a bit like Howard Bach(U.S. player)..While on the 3rd pic, below that, notice the coach sitting behind the player, he looks eerily similar to Li Mao?!?!:eek::confused: :rolleyes: ;) ..Btw, the "special" BC member carrying that camera in the last pic, hmm, let me guess, could he be none other than Mr. Raphael Sachetat(BWF's official photographer)??..:confused: :p ;)

Specially taken for Yannie are some pics on Malaysian player, Gan Teik Chai, in his XD partnership with Haw Chiou Hwee, who looks like Zhou Mi.

Lastly, there's a special BC member who was caught on camera holding a camera. Can you guess his name?

Hahahahaha. Not only for me, mainly for my friend. She is too shy to the request in here, so I request for Gan pics. Haw Chiou Hwee is playing WD with Lim Yin Loo.

BC member: Raphael Sachetat. :D

But Chris, did you spot Hendrawan?

Loh, any MD pictures? *shy*

But Chris, did you spot Hendrawan?
:)..that's what i meant, just testing you or anyone else..haha:p:D;)..In the first pic, he disappeared, but then reappeared to do his LiMao impersonation..:p;)
Oh, so that's Tommy Sugiarto, got a much clearer picture now...;) :cool:

oho, so that's the infamous raph .... he must be having a field day in singapore!

Just you watch the German couple! And Mr Gan and partner as well! ;)

wow.. so many msia youngsters pics!!!
hahahahahaaa

great pictures Loh

But Chris, did you spot Hendrawan?

you can see Hendrawan at the picture behind Tommy Sugiarto.

my friend take a picture with Hendrawan during Qualification round (after Tommy defeated).
he came with his wife and his son and daughter.

Great pics!So,up to today,what's the classments?

nice pics. thnx

Thanks for nice pics.
I support yannie,any MD pics?

Top-seed, Fu and Cai, made light work of Russians, Vitalij Durkin and Alexandr Nikolaenko, 21-13, 21-9 in 34 min.

Similarly, 4th Seed, Candra and Tony dashed the hopes of brothers Hendri Kurniawan Saputra and Hendra Wijaya of Singapore, 21-7, 21-16 in just 22 min.

Nice pictures. The last one is a little odd. It looks like Cai is playing a guitar in the air. He seems stiff.

cai seem to be using the 900T.

Ronald deserves some mention here for his determination and grit to make a successful comeback from a long injury.

In R1, he surprised Malaysia's Lee Tsuen Seng by avenging his New Zealand Open defeat with a straights games win 21-15, 21-15 in 44 min.

thx again for the photos loh keep it up

loh,

i'm surprised you have taken any pics of kendrick beating CJ ... now there's a surprise result.

Thank you, Loh. Absolutely wonderful!

Some pictures here as well...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/youthsg/sets/72157600125374349/

x50926x those r some really cool photos

Thanks for the awesome pics!!
Cai Yun seriously need to trim his hair :D

Some pictures here as well...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/youthsg/sets/72157600125374349/
...and thanks for sharing them, x50926x..looking at the court side pics, i assume you're one of the media accredited photo-journalist there??..:cool:

Or one of x50926x's friends

I guess many BC memebers were too immersed with the excitement at SIS and other personal arrangements that they were unable to make it for our 'food party" at Lau Pa Sat.

Although hcyong was sitting with us for a few days of the action, he had to entertain his college mates, including BC member Chu from Kuantan, and others who came from KL and Johor specially to watch the semi-finals. At the end of which they adjorned across the causeway to Johor for a late game of badminton which started at about 10.30 pm and ending an hour later.

But our good friend from KL, abedeng, a car-racing enthusiast, drove all the way to Singapore in about 3 hours to be with us. He didn't eat much because he came alone and needed to be alert on his drive home the same evening. We therefore missed him for the finals. :)

Kyiyu has been a great source of support for he was the one to ensure that we continue to have good seats and viewing pleasure by going to the SIS at least an hour in advance to reserve them for both the semi-finals and finals. And he and abedeng gave us a lift to LPS for our get-together. A pity that Kyiyu could not be with us much longer as he had a previous appointment.

BadMania also couldn't resist his MU versus Manchester City match on TV and he adjourned to a nearby water hole shortly after he had his favourite meal of satay.

So the remaining six of us sat through the evening under open skies, chatting away and enjoying our food as they were brought to us at irregular intervals. Abedeng thought our first dish of LPS satay is slightly different from that in KL in that the meat is softer. Other dishes included stingray, black pepper crabs, rojak, cuttle fish salad, etc. Even ants and terry conceded that they were too full to eat more. We rounded up with glasses of teh tarek. :p

In the picture below, from left to right are:

Loh, Kyiyu, ants, terry, abedeng, badMania and hFang. The photographer is another badminton enthusiast who were with us for a few days.

..thanks Loh!!! Finally!!;) :D :) :cool: ....But where are the............................food(ie. satay, stingray, black pepper crabs, rojak, cuttle fish salad)???..:confused: :rolleyes: :p :crying::p:D
Btw, you guys look good:cool:..Oh, who is the photographer??...and hFang reminds me a bit of yannie..;):) :cool:

..thanks Loh!!! Finally!!;) :D :) :cool: ....But where are the............................food(ie. satay, stingray, black pepper crabs, rojak, cuttle fish salad)???..:confused: :rolleyes: :p :crying::p:D

Btw, you guys look good:cool:..Oh, who is the photographer??...and hFang reminds me a bit of yannie..;):) :cool:

The food was all in our stomach! No lah, we allow the cooks to take a longer time to ensure that we get the best out of them! :D

Actually we want both kyiyu and badMania to be in the pic before they 'disappear'. ;)

The food was all in our stomach! No lah, we allow the cooks to take a longer time to ensure that we get the best out of them! :D

Actually we want both kyiyu and badMania to be in the pic before they 'disappear'. ;)
...and from the pic, looks like ants was smiling cos he's about to gobble down that big bowl of es campur...*sigh*..:p :rolleyes: :D ;) :cool:

...and from the pic, looks like ants was smiling cos he's about to gobble down that big bowl of es campur...*sigh*..:p :rolleyes: :D ;) :cool:

U don't know half the story, upon reaching Lau Pa Sat, Antz and Terry immediately "emptied their tanks" :D before proceeding to order the es campur as "appetizer", one each ......

Ever the gracious host, Loh was asking whether Antz had enough or needed 2nd helping ...... :D

U don't know half the story, upon reaching Lau Pa Sat, Antz and Terry immediately "emptied their tanks" :D before proceeding to order the es campur as "appetizer", one each ......

Ever the gracious host, Loh was asking whether Antz had enough or needed 2nd helping ...... :D
...treated you with some desserts or some take away as well:) ...Wow, you drove 3 hrs to S'pore and back again, just to join the get-together???..Hats off to you, sir!!;) :cool:

...treated you with some desserts or some take away as well:) ...Wow, you drove 3 hrs to S'pore and back again, just to join the get-together???..Hats off to you, sir!!;) :cool:

No, I drove on Friday mid-morning, only arrived in time to see that Gao Ling/Zheng Bo had gone down meekly :crying: and Zhang Jun/Zhao Tingting were about to get their a***s kicked.

What can I say, Loh put in my name "without permission". Besides, I missed the Malaysian Open SS due to work commitments. But I couldn't stay for the finals, had some other commitments at home. Some of us mere mortals are just not as lucky as Antz .....

The first match on Finals day was the WD between China's two seeded pairs, Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili (#1) and Zhao Tingting and Yang Wei (#6).

The top seed justified by beating the 6th seed, but not without a fight that went into the rubber game, 10-21, 21-19, 21-18 in 55 min. We never expected such a good show among compatroits.

I was very impressed with southpaw, Wei Yili, her fine build, her above average height and strong limbs although she was taped around her left elbow, her poise, her good balance, her energy and intense focus on court. I will show you her pics first before some of the other action in the match proper. Wei Yili must surely be a name to watch in the near future, although she is not very young and was formerly paired off with her current opponent, Zhao Tingting.

The SIS will be further enhanced a few years down the road with the completion of the new Sports Hub. Another smaller multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of about 5,000 that may be suitable for table-tennis, badminton, basketball, gymnastics, etc, will be added.

A new national stadium fit for bigger events like soccer, athletics and a regular venue for our National Day Parade will replace the existing stadium shown in one of the pictures. In front of the SIS is a giant hole which is now under construction for the Circle Line (an underground train system) which will bring many more sports loving fans to the Kallang Sports Hub.

Exciting times are ahead for sports and recreation in this area, which iincludes the Kallang River currently a lively hang-out for water sports like canoeing and water-skiing.

Hahahahaha.. great Loh!!! Too bad I couldn't join you guys.. :crying: Envy, envy.. thanks for all the pics again, Loh.

Yup...it was nice meeting up with the rest as well...including some new faces like hcyong, abedeng, terry and hFang.

At the end, it was a very memorable week for me. Man Utd was crowned the English Premiership Champion for the record 9th time, while Flandy Limpele/Vita Marissa continued Team INA's good record at the Singapore Open and grabbed their and INA's first Super Series title of the year. It will be a perfect week had Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan won as well...but well...one title is good enough :D

Thats why i didnt go and watch the MU match.. coz i know they will win for sure. :) hehehe.. the food that we had is way too much.. since i've already gained weight... this trip make it worse... but its a different story for Terry, he lost weight after the trip!

Thats why i didnt go and watch the MU match.. coz i know they will win for sure. :) hehehe.. the food that we had is way too much.. since i've already gained weight... this trip make it worse... but its a different story for Terry, he lost weight after the trip!
...wow, ants, you really need to slim down, cos you know the WC get-together is coming up in a while..:p :D ;) ...terry lost weight?? how could it be so??...hmm:confused: :rolleyes:

Yes, i know.. i need to slim down soon.. if not i will breach the point of no return.

hahahaha, loh, did you actually have time to watch any of the matches, or were you just taking pics all the time?
greatly appreciated though!

Yup...it was nice meeting up with the rest as well...including some new faces like hcyong, abedeng, terry and hFang.

At the end, it was a very memorable week for me. Man Utd was crowned the English Premiership Champion for the record 9th time, .......

I'm sure your presence on the TV set forced Manchester City to miss their penalty. :D :p

...wow, ants, you really need to slim down, cos you know the WC get-together is coming up in a while..:p :D ;) ...terry lost weight?? how could it be so??...hmm:confused: :rolleyes:

I also dun know? i lost 3kg for this SO trip :confused:

But happy leh :p

Thats why i didnt go and watch the MU match.. coz i know they will win for sure. :) hehehe.. the food that we had is way too much.. since i've already gained weight... this trip make it worse... but its a different story for Terry, he lost weight after the trip!

Yea...Loh indeed ordered more than enough of food for all of us there..But it was a great one..:p Nice to meet all of you there..

Yeah! LOH, thanks for the dinner!

Yea...Loh indeed ordered more than enough of food for all of us there..

Are u sure, the food was "only" more than enough 'cos u hardly touched any, badMania needed to "coach" MU, Kyiyu couldn't stay, Loh needed to be a gracious host (A big thank you, Loh) and I couldn't indulge .... :eek:

Next GTG during World Championships, I will not hold back.:D

Antz, I suggest next time you walk from Pan Pac to the National Indoor Stadium, guaranteed will lose weight.:p I think it's not even 3 km distance, just walk across Raffles Blvd and turn to Nicoll H'way, all the way .....

Are u sure, the food was "only" more than enough 'cos u hardly touched any, badMania needed to "coach" MU, Kyiyu couldn't stay, Loh needed to be a gracious host (A big thank you, Loh) and I couldn't indulge .... :eek:


haha...quoted from terry that night 'gals normally eat very little'....or else i may end up having the same problem as ants is having now...:D

hahahaha, loh, did you actually have time to watch any of the matches, or were you just taking pics all the time?
greatly appreciated though!

I watched much of the court action through my view finder, though not magnified but really focused. :)

Actually I did see the bigger picture as well, as from time to time, I will just sit back, relaxed and enjoy the scene. I even had time to blow my little 'orange plastic Yonex horn' which 'shocked' those around me with its deafening sound. But I need to give Boonsak a boost as the China supporters were just too overwhelming. Boonsak repaid me with a great resounding win over Chen Yu! :)

But despite my noisy support for LWW/CTF, it was to no avail as our 'veterans' just lost out marginally in the rubber. I'm sure the Malaysian cheer contingent must be equally disappointed. But they gave a great show of support that almost drowned out the China voice. Unfortuanately China brought out their ace giant red flag that overshadowed Malaysia's. But what is similar in both flags is the STAR. :D

Hahahahaha.. great Loh!!! Too bad I couldn't join you guys.. :crying: Envy, envy.. thanks for all the pics again, Loh.

Do you think you look like hFang or she looks like you? A long-lost sister? :)

Do you think you look like hFang or she looks like you? A long-lost sister? :)

And Loh has the eye for either of you !:D

I watched much of the court action through my view finder, though not magnified but really focused. :)

Actually I did see the bigger picture as well, as from time to time, I will just sit back, relaxed and enjoy the scene. I even had time to blow my little 'orange plastic Yonex horn' which 'shocked' those around me with its deafening sound. But I need to give Boonsak a boost as the China supporters were just too overwhelming. Boonsak repaid me with a great resounding win over Chen Yu! :)

But despite my noisy support for LWW/CTF, it was to no avail as our 'veterans' just lost out marginally in the rubber. I'm sure the Malaysian cheer contingent must be equally disappointed. But they gave a great show of support that almost drowned out the China voice. Unfortuanately China brought out their ace giant red flag that overshadowed Malaysia's. But what is similar in both flags is the STAR. :D
..Loh, did those people give you a weird stare/look after you blew the Yonex horn??:rolleyes: :p ;) ...Yeah, i remember one of those giant CHN flag flying when i was there. As a matter of fact, i saw it also in the 2005 WC here in Anaheim...They're EVERYWHERE!!!:D ;)

Yeah! LOH, thanks for the dinner!
...for you to treat him, when the WC rolls around..right, Loh??..:D :p ;)

..Loh, did those people give you a weird stare/look after you blew the Yonex horn??:rolleyes: :p ;) ...Yeah, i remember one of those giant CHN flag flying when i was there. As a matter of fact, i saw it also in the 2005 WC here in Anaheim...They're EVERYWHERE!!!:D ;)

You should ask hFang who sat on my left...:rolleyes:

This much I can tell you...when I let off my full blast...almost everyone was looking at my direction...:cool: :p ;)

Well I just pretended nothing had happened and joined in unison with the haunting and delirious Malaysian kompang beat...dum dum...dum dum...dum dum dum...dum dum...dum dum...dum dum dum.......MALAYSIA BOLEH...the flag flutters wildly in conjunction with the clapping of the balloon sticks!:D :D :D

And Loh has the eye for either of you !:D

Ah...hah, we were eyeing for you! How disappointed that you failed to show up and the satays specailly reserved for you were left untouched. :mad: :D

If abedeng could come, no reason why you couldn't. We're appreciative of abedeng's unexpected but most pleasant gesture.

Ah...hah, we were eyeing for you! How disappointed that you failed to show up and the satays specailly reserved for you were left untouched. :mad: :D

If abedeng could come, no reason why you couldn't. We're appreciative of abedeng's unexpected but most pleasant gesture.
...X Ball can hitch a ride and carpool with abedeng..;) :cool:

...for you to treat him, when the WC rolls around..right, Loh??..:D :p ;)

Well terry was first to receive hcyong, my friend Nicky and I, when we last visited KL for the Malaysian Open. We reached KL by coach and he drove us in his 'caravan' or 'rover' to hunt for a budget hotel for Nicky and me (Yong is Malaysian and has a house to stay in KL) although he did not have time to join us in our other exploits, which included food of course! Terry was then on 'official' assignment as ambassador to Mr Ants I presume and he could be seen with the Malaysian team most times.

Ah...hah, we were eyeing for you! How disappointed that you failed to show up and the satays specailly reserved for you were left untouched. :mad: :D

If abedeng could come, no reason why you couldn't. We're appreciative of abedeng's unexpected but most pleasant gesture.

Did Abedeng not apologise on my behalf !?? Silly bugger, can't trust him to spread any good word about me !:D

In any case, I am glad I could not make it. I would have blown your fun.:)

Let me repay you your satay 2 times over in the World Championship!

...X Ball can hitch a ride and carpool with abedeng..;) :cool:

Did you not see the way he drives ?!:D

Do you think you look like hFang or she looks like you? A long-lost sister? :)

Hmm.. from the pic, maybe a little bit :) .. What do you guys think? And how about you hFang..? hehehehe.. ;)

Did you not see the way he drives ?!:D

X_Ball is rite, he'd be at risk with me driving. U see, to my car freak friends, I am a "certified stuntman" who had been involved with rollovers and fender-benders unscathed ..... :p

Hmm.. from the pic, maybe a little bit :) .. What do you guys think? And how about you hFang..? hehehehe.. ;)

Mebbe a bit resemblance. But hFang slightly thinner, and wants to keep it that way ....

BTW Yannie, u went to All-England final right? Thought I saw u in the MD final game video. U were clapping 'cos Cai/Fu just won a point. The score was 8-8, 1st game.

Mebbe a bit resemblance. But hFang slightly thinner, and wants to keep it that way ....

BTW Yannie, u went to All-England final right? Thought I saw u in the MD final game video. U were clapping 'cos Cai/Fu just won a point. The score was 8-8, 1st game.

Noooooo. That's not me!!! I don't look like that.. And the woman seems to be much older than me. :eek:

That day I was wearing an orange shirt and a black jacket.. I was in the media room at that time, and didn't go down to watch before 2nd set.

We all knew that Boonsak Ponsana was no pushover. He was a bronze medalist at the last Athens Olympics 2004, together with Sony Kuncoro of Indonesia. But in this SO, Boonsak was not even seeded.

But in this first SS qualifying points for the forthcoming Beijing Olympics 2008, the Aviva Open Singapore 2007 proves to be the most memorable for Boonsak.
For he emerged champion and scalped a few notables along his way to the crown:

Final: Chen Yu (China) 21-17, 21-14 (36 min)
Semi-Final: Ronald Susilo (Singapore) 21-13, 21-15 (36 min)
Quarter-Final: Lin Dan (China) 21-17, 7-21, 23-21 (59 min)
Round 2: Hafiz Hashim (Malaysia) 21-13, 21-13 (33 min)
Round 1: Alamsyah (Indonesia) 21-19, 21-17 (42 min)

Boonsak's defeat of top-seed WR1 Lin Dan was the icing on the cake. Despite being totally destroyed in the second game, Boonsak must have used it to conserve his energy and to study Lin more closely. The very tight rubber game gave hint of his intelligent play and a will to win. Lin Dan was totally demoralized but Boonsak jumped for joy and rushed to his team officials like a happy child on the loose.:D

Now even Lin Dan and Peter Gade must add Boonsak to their list of opponents to watch for the Beijing Olympics. And even Chen Jin (#3) was edged out 21-16, 16-21, 21-23 by Singapore's much lower ranked Kendrick Lee in R2. And reigning champion, Peter (#4) himself was disposed of by Chen Yu (#7) in the SF, 15-21, 25-23, 17-21 in 1 hr 10 min.

The MS field is getting wider and even Ronald Susilo of Singapore signalled his return by playing above expectations to reach the SF, only to lose to eventual winner Boonsak. Ronald beat compatriot Kendrick Lee 21-13, 16-21, 21-10 (47 min) in the QF, Sony Kuncoro (Indonesia) 21-13, 21-10 (40 min) in R2 and Lee Tsuen Seng (Malaysia) 21-14, 21-14 (44 min) in R1. Sony himself created a furore when he defeated Chen Hong (China) 21-11, 9-21, 21-17 (53 min) in R1.

Here are some pics of the MS Final in the rubber game:

The jubilant Boonsak gladly receives his prize and accolades: :)

Loh, 'happy child on the loose', did you say ? (laugh).

I don't believe you.

Loh, 'happy child on the loose', did you say ? (laugh).

I don't believe you.

You should have been here to witness that spectacle! :D

Hmm.. from the pic, maybe a little bit :) .. What do you guys think? And how about you hFang..? hehehehe.. ;)

hm...I'll say that the way I post look a little bit like yannie...maybe I should meet up with you one day yannie...so we can let them see whether we look alike in person or not...hahaha...:p

You should ask hFang who sat on my left...:rolleyes:

This much I can tell you...when I let off my full blast...almost everyone was looking at my direction...:cool: :p ;)

Well I just pretended nothing had happened and joined in unison with the haunting and delirious Malaysian kompang beat...dum dum...dum dum...dum dum dum...dum dum...dum dum...dum dum dum.......MALAYSIA BOLEH...the flag flutters wildly in conjunction with the clapping of the balloon sticks!:D :D :D

Loh did 'shocked' me sometimes when he suddenly blew his 'cute little horn'...:D :D but it did lighthen up the atmosphere....and he really enjoyed himself with the horn...:p :D

hm...I'll say that the way I post look a little bit like yannie...maybe I should meet up with you one day yannie...so we can let them see whether we look alike in person or not...hahaha...:p

Yes of course hFang.. Coming to Denmark Open, Copenhagen Masters or All England soon??? :D

Other BC'ers are very very welcome too.

I think it was semifinals day, one of the screen shots showed you guys in the audience. Well done!!:D

Too Loud i guess...

Yes of course hFang.. Coming to Denmark Open, Copenhagen Masters or All England soon??? :D

Other BC'ers are very very welcome too.

That'll be too far away for me yannie...:crying: maybe in the next few years i'll go...

here's some of the few pic i've managed to take.:)

Noooooo. That's not me!!! I don't look like that.. And the woman seems to be much older than me. :eek:

That day I was wearing an orange shirt and a black jacket.. I was in the media room at that time, and didn't go down to watch before 2nd set.

Ok, that's another lookalike then.

U should have watched 1st set, maybe Cai/Fu would have fought better with their top supporter around .... :D No wonder they were harder to kill in 2nd set.

This is the new Yonex contraption that can turn a hundred heads! :cool:
A miniature plastic horn with just one note - B L A S T! It cost S$2.

Yonex might have got the idea from the Malaysian cheerleaders. I remembered blowing a bigger version of this that was given to me by one of their cheerleaders as I unintentionally moved to sit with them during one of the Malaysian Opens in KL some years back.

It was made from a modified Coke can and was covered with a thin skin of balloon rubber at one end. But it could produce more notes much louder depending on the skill of the blower.

This is the new Yonex contraption that can turn a hundred heads! :cool:
A miniature plastic horn with just one note - B L A S T! It cost S$2.

Yonex might have got the idea from the Malaysian cheerleaders. I remembered blowing a bigger version of this that was given to me by one of their cheerleaders as I unintentionally moved to sit with them during one of the Malaysian Opens in KL some years back.

It was made from a modified Coke can and was covered with a thin skin of balloon rubber at one end. But it could produce more notes much louder depending on the skill of the blower.
...to carry that horn to KL for the WC, Loh...;) :D :cool:

It was the last match of the evening but it proved to be the most exciting and enabled fans of both teams to vent their last energies in support of their heroes.

The Men's Doubles final between top seed WR1 Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China and 6th seed Malaysians, Lee Wan Wah-Choong Tan Fook delighted the crowd with their speed, aggression, drama and antics on court. Sometimes it looked as though they were doing a gig, demonstrating a martial arts move with a sabre (their racket), a dance...:cool:

In the end the Malaysians were unable to repeat their recent victory at the Asian Badminton Championships in Johor Baru although they ought to. Having won the first game convincely 21-16, they squandered two match points to allow the younger Chinese pair to take the second 24-22 and the final game and match 21-18. But it also demonstrated that the Malaysian veteran pair can measure up to the best in the world. They will be difficult to beat if they continue to work hard not only on their skills but also on their physical. :D

More pictures of this titanic match between two very competitive teams:

Nice pics Loh.. :)

Great pics Loh, I love the last pic and all the pics with Chinese flags.. hehehe

Great pics Loh, I love the last pic and all the pics with Chinese flags.. hehehe
i thot u went to sleep??

Great pics Loh, I love the last pic and all the pics with Chinese flags.. hehehe

In the last pic, our two young heroes had to remain sitting down for about 20-30 mins to sign autographs and have their pics taken with their admirers. hFang tried to have a pic taken but the long queue made it impossible. :(

No doubt every big sweep of the Chinese flag by the ardent nationalist standing in the front row caused a ripple of excitement in the crowd and the much smaller Malaysian flag held by two supporters was of no match.

If only the Chinese anthem could accompany the waving of the flag ..."Chi lai, chi lai ............ That would have added not only colour - the Chinese flag of golden stars on a background of energetic red - but also a melodic rousing rhythm to the proceedings. It would have been a more lively and carnival-like atmosphere! :)

I think it was semifinals day, one of the screen shots showed you guys in the audience. Well done!!:D

Oh that's news. Who did you see? Are you sure it was us? Could you really recognize our faces? Or you're just pulling our legs! :D

I'm sure it shows the whole stadium.. so everyone is in tv. hahahah

Wow! Loh, you are so nice.
Great pics, Your pics make me feel like I was in stadium that day.

Wow! Loh, you are so nice.
Great pics, Your pics make me feel like I was in stadium that day.

Thank you. I'm glad it makes your day! :)

Not far from the SIS is the popular watersports venue that takes advantage of the Kallang River - Kallang Riverside Park.

This area used to be quite poluted in the past but with the government's campaign to clean up our wateways many years back, including the Singapore River where Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay are located, Kallang River has since been available for watersports and recreation.

Now another recent initiative by the government to allow other kinds of water bodies to be used for recreation like the reservoirs and big canals, has opened up more venues for residents to enjoy kayaking, canoeing, fishing (without live baits) sailing, water skiing, etc. Those that are not as active can enjoy the pleasant surroundings that will be garden-like with greenery and facilities for BBQ and physical fitness, like those found in many other parks in Singapore.

The coastline will be ringed and connected up at appropriate venues with boardwalks like those at Changi Beach to enable residents to enjoy the sea scenery, sunrise and sunset, apart from fishing. :)

The two China top seeds justified their ranking by sweeping away all opposition to face each other in this final.

Although Zhang Ning was ranked second to Xie Xingfang she managed to beat Xie to regain her SO crown sh last won in 2005. But it was not an easy win despite the lopsided score in the third game 21-3, during which Zhang completely mastered Xie who must have lost all motivation by then to keep up with Zhang's continued fast pace. It all ended in exactly an hour.

The first game went to Zhang 21-18 but Xie turned the tables in the second 21-19. The effort must have taken a toll on Xie who had two earlier matches which went to the rubber. In R1, Xie was extended 21-16, 18-21, 21-8 (52 mins) by Finn, Anu Nieminen and during the quarter-final, Tine Rasmussen of Denmark pushed Xie all the way in another 52 mins, 21-12, 18-21, 21-11.

On the other hand Zhang had almost an unobstructed passage to the final. Only Bulgaria's top player, Petya Nedeltcheva, gave her a hard first game in R1 before losing 21-19, 21-11 in 30 mins. Japan's Kaori Mori was no match in R2, being defeated in just 25 mins, 21-4, 21-9. During the QF, even 6th seed, Pi Hongyan of France failed to put up much opposition when she went down 21-11, 21-14 in 31 mins. Another Japanese, Eriko Hirose, did no better in the SF and lost 21-11, 21-12 in 33 mins.

So history repeated itself for Zhang. Singapore proved to be a happy hunting ground for her many times since 2001. She won the SO crown 4 times before in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005 to make this the 5th. Zhang was runner-up in 2002 and did not participate last year. Will we see Zhang taking her 6th SO title next year? Time will tell. ;)

Some more pictures on the WS Final between Zhang Ning and compatriot Xie Xingfang.

LMAO!! That pic of Lin Dan... He was so embarassed and shocked that his face suddenly appear in the screen... :D :D So cute!!

Though the Taiwanese pair may not be as stunning in their play, their hairdo was outrageous!

Especially Cheng Wen-Hsing's meticulous close crop put KKK's very mild crew-cut to shame! Her partner's, the taller Chien Yu Chin, pony-tail was flirtatious. But their combined heads might be a bit too much for their Malaysian opponents in R1, Lim Pek Siah and Joanne Quay, whom they beat 13-21, 22-20, 21-15.