ClearTwo Doubles Exhibition feat. Tony Gunawan & Howard Bach [USA]

[towbsss]

There will be an exhibition held Friday night, July 31st, at ClearTwo Badminton Centre in Richmond. Although the details here are preliminary, the exhibition will consist of 5 matches, probably a Womens Doubles, a Mixed Doubles, two Mens Doubles, and a 3 vs 3 Mens Doubles.

Players in the exhibition will include Tony Gunawan [USA], Howard Bach [USA], William Milroy [CAN], Toby Ng [CAN], Lee Haeng Ham [KOR], Derrick Ng [CAN], Fiona McKee [CAN], and likely other Canadians including Tommy Mckee, Kevin Li, and some other unconfirmed players.

The reason for the exhibition is to support some of the local athletes competing at the 2009 World Championships in India, as there is no financial support from Badminton Canada. The cost for the exhibition should be about $10 (unconfirmed) and tickets can be purchased at ClearOne or ClearTwo Badminton Centre.

I will try to update the information accordingly. Hope to see you all there! :)

[towbsss]

Here is the official poster. It will be something like a Canada vs. World exhibition. Please note that tickets are $12 (not $10 from the previous post).

[smash_master]

hum on the poster it mentions china, im curious who will be filling that position.

[towbsss]

Its the new International coach at ClearTwo. He was one of the players who came for the Team BC vs. Team Jiang Su exhibitions in 2007.

[towbsss]

Here is something from the forum for those who remember:


Jiangsu Team Visit: Vancouver Racquets Club

Men’s Singles 1: Richard Liang vs SpringyShort. Let me set this up correctly so you’ll understand the environment.

All the other BC Team players and Jiangsu Team players are at the courts early, stretching, sparring, warming up. Richard Liang was in his street clothes and didn’t really get an opportunity to warm up adequately. Another way of looking at it is that he didn’t bother getting there early enough to prepare. Whatever.

So while the VRC director, coaches, representatives, were giving short speeches and everyone else was sitting quietly and politely, there’s Richard on the court at full stretch, left leg first, then right leg, then this, then that.

Now this is my personal opinion and observation. Richard Liang has a peculiar attitude and demeanor on court, during games. Bored look, lackadaisical stance, checks out to see if the “crowd” or whoever, witnessed a shot or winner that he’d just executed. I think show-boating is the word I’m looking for. Again this is my OPINION. Yes he can out-smash me, and give me a big, fat, twenty-one zero without even trying. I think, attention-seeker is another phrase I hear being tossed around.

Nothing wrong with that, as a lot of sports figures get a thrill out of attention-seeking, Roddick or Nadal comes to mind, in championship tennis.

Okay, now it’s set up.

Mens Singles 1 on court six, right next to where I’m sitting. SpringyShort has a bravado attitude, puts down his drink in a cup right where the BC Team is sitting courtside. His side of the court. Then he steps on the court and decides he wants to start. Lawrence, the umpire tells him Richard Liang needs to warm-up a bit, and to have a couple of warm-up rallies.

SpringyShort shrugs his shoulders and (I imagine) says, “fine, whatever.”

Then Richard puts up some easy lobs, or clears to limber up. SpringyShort has other ideas. After a couple of return lobs, proceeds to sharp drop it to the front corners, then low-push to the back, forcing Richard into game-time movement.

I don’t think Richard appreciated that, and decides maybe it’s a one-off thing. Except SpringyShort started doing it over and over and over again. I imagine Richard must have got a little frustrated with that because he ended the warm-up and started to test the tube of shuttles to be used for the game.

Apparently SpringyShort has other ideas again, as he caught almost all the shuttles in mid-air and tossed them to the umpires chair. Some of them he just hit to the chair. By this time Richard’s glaring at SpringShort with a sort of “WTF are you doing?” kind of look.

I’m loving it.

Everyone sitting around me were murmuring and pointing.

I’m still loving it. SpringyShort had a little aloofness about the whole thing and walks around with PLENTY of arrogance. Wait, that’s negative. With plenty of self-confidence in himself, like he could win this game no problem.

I’m telling Growler (brother) sitting next to me, that SpringyShort is playing psychological mind-games with Richard Liang, and I couldn’t wait for the game to start. Now either Richard’s going to smoke this guy off the court, or SpringyShort was going to do this the whole night, so you can imagine my anticipation. I hoped my analysis was correct.

I wasn’t disappointed. Richard serves long and deep. SpringyShort steps almost two feet behind the back line, jumps up and power-smashes the shuttle so hard, I thought the goose from which the shuttle-feathers was plucked, actually bounced-up in the goose-graveyard somewhere in China.

Richard Liang had no answer to SpringyShort, as SpringyShort moved around the court at super-human speed.

Any sharp pushes attempted by Richard, SpringShort’s footwork and speed got him behind the shot quick enough to be smashed. And any strategy Richard put out to get SpringyShort to cover the diagonal, SpringyShort had the quickness to either smash down from the back, or get the shuttle above the net at the front.

SpringyShort even feigned a yawn!

I’M LOVING IT!!!

At various time when he was going to pull away, the Jiangsu instructions must have activated in his brain, and he would wait for Richard to pull up even in the score before continuing on the massacre.

At this point I’m actually feeling sorry for Richard, as this is NOT the sort of exhibition attention-seekers are looking for.

I mentioned again to Growler that it’s just SpringyShort’s initial energy burst that he can do this, and after six points or so, he’ll settle down to a regular single’s game rhythm, slow, methodical, very few smashes.

Or so I thought. At some point when SpringShort had something like fifteen points, and Richard was trailing, Richard somehow was gaining point by point, and I told Growler, “SEE!”

SpringyShort looked a little mellow now, and called time-out and took a sip from his cup and motioned “I’m tired” or something to the BC Team sitting on his side of the court.

Remember the goose-graveyard? Well now the goose had a second wake-up call, as SpringyShort re-energized and smoked Richard for rest of the set.

I felt really sad at the end of the match, like when a good movie ends, because that was the match of the NIGHT!


So yes, Jacky Ruan, A.K.A "SpringyShort", is coaching at ClearOne now and will be at the exhibition. Likely, he will probably pair up for MD with Lee Haeng Ham of Korea, with the self proclaimed "hardest smash in Korea". Only 20 years of age, but at 6'3" and 195 lbs, it will be definitely something to see :D

And of course, Tony and Howard, who recently demolished everyone at the US Open will definitely put on a show ;)


(Picture: Lee Haeng Ham @ Calgary Winter Club. Photo taken by: "alberta_foothills")

[Matt]

That seems a bit confusing because when I saw China in the poster, I assume it would be a player from the China National Team, ie. Fu Hai Feng.

If these folks were here, it would be add more weight to make it worth watching.

[kdm0922]

I like how you said SELF PROCLAIMED.


Here is something from the forum for those who remember:



So yes, Jacky Ruan, A.K.A "SpringyShort", is coaching at ClearOne now and will be at the exhibition. Likely, he will probably pair up for MD with Lee Haeng Ham of Korea, with the self proclaimed "hardest smash in Korea". Only 20 years of age, but at 6'3" and 195 lbs, it will be definitely something to see :D

And of course, Tony and Howard, who recently demolished everyone at the US Open will definitely put on a show ;)


(Picture: Lee Haeng Ham @ Calgary Winter Club. Photo taken by: "alberta_foothills")

[towbsss]

Okay, I think I have a rough format for the exhibition. It will be roughly this format:

3 v 3 Doubles (Intro)
XD
MS
MD
MD
MD

Not sure if that is the order, but there will not be any WS or WD.

[Matt]

Okay, I think I have a rough format for the exhibition. It will be roughly this format:

3 v 3 Doubles (Intro)
XD
MS
MD
MD
MD

Not sure if that is the order, but there will not be any WS or WD.

Do you have the list of the player/team orders for the matches?

[towbsss]

Not everything has been finalized, but there are a few that will be very likely:

3v3 Doubles - Tony/Howard/Lee vs. Will/Toby/Derrick [1 set to 21]
XD - Lee/Melody vs. Will/Fiona [Full match]
MD - Tony/Howard vs. Will/Toby [Full match]

Also, it is likely that Jacky [CHN] will be playing the singles.

[towbsss]

EMERGENCY UPDATE!!

I must apologize, but I just found out that tickets will be increased to $15 on Friday. So if you buy at anytime on Friday, you will have to pay an extra $3. Please try to get your tickets today!! Call in or visit the centre to get your tickets for $12. Sorry again for the short notice, but I only found out a moment ago. Hope you all have your tickets already!

[towbsss]

Thank you all for your support! It is greatly appreciated. We hope to see you next time!!

[Growler]

What was the name of Kevin Li's partner? Was that Tommy McKee?

[towbsss]

Yes, Fiona's brother.

[Growler]

Here are links to the videos I took at the Exhibition Matches:

Match 1: 3 vs.3 (Intro) - 1 set only (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0FKEyPltFU)
Tony Gunawan / Howard Bach / Lee Haeng Ham vs. William Milroy / Toby Ng / Derek Ng

Match 2: Men's Doubles
Tony Gunawan / Howard Bach vs. Toby Ng / Derek Ng
1st set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITLn7W65hw8); 2nd set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTf58SAHN1I)

Match 3: Mixed Doubles
Lee Haeng Ham / Melody Liang vs. William Milroy / Fiona McKee
1st set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOM9H1Ls1QM); 2nd set - pt.1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLf_jiOgD4) & pt.2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n5GYF7IVng)

Match 4: Men's Singles
Jacky Ruan vs. David Yuan
1st set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TOaIkqx18g); 2nd set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zirSWUjQe00)

Match 5: Men's Doubles
Lee Haeng Ham / Jacky Ruan vs. Kevin Li / Tommy McKee
1st set - pt.1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1qBSLnypzs); 1st set - pt.2 & 2nd set pt.1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQfyPQTQhP8); 2nd set pt.2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo3tkcU5GAQ)

Match 6: Men's Doubles
Tony Gunawan / Howard Bach vs. William Milroy / Toby Ng
1st set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BhUC0LtCVI); 2nd set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaFp-Hv2sNM)

[towbsss]

Hey, thank you very much for uploading those matches! :D

[Growler]

You're welcome.

[smash_master]

ah ill have to watch these videos once im out of china and have access to youtube again.