In an effort to raise the profile of players outside of the super powers of badminton why not post details of blogs and websites of other players from other nations. Let me start by introducing Scott Evans from Ireland at www.scottevansbadminton.blogspot.com and www.freewebs.com/scottevansirl
I've seen scott play and I think this guy's got a lot of potential just lack of high level training...
Scott now lives and trains in Denmark under the watchful eye of Jim Laugesen. They seem to work well together and the evidence is there as Scott has gone from 120 in Wr to 45. Its not a question of talent in my opinion at this time. Like most players its a question of funding.
You can try.. ...to find a very short video clip of him in this yr's U.S. Open sub-forum...You can check out in one of threads there..
Hi, There are long clips on youtube of Scott playing in US open. Just type in scottevanstv as your search criteria and also complete matches on his blog and website at www.scottevansbadminton.blogspot.com and www.freewebs.com/scottevansirl Enjoy I recently found this quote about him to “He is much more than useful he is amongst the biggest European potentials.He can beat very good Asians and beat them well. In end analysis he has a big potential and we must see if it can be brought out. “
From the NBC Olympics site: Scott Evans > Bio Born: March 26, 1987 Ht: / Wt: 5'11" / 160 lbs Event(s): Men's singles The Irish lad His country's first-ever male representative in badminton, Scott Evans' long-term goal is to win a medal in London in 2012: "Being from Dublin, that's as near as I will get to competing in a home Olympics," he said. Ireland's three-time national champion (2006-08), Evans will be looking to make an unexpected splash in Beijing. Still looking for his first Super Series win, Evans' two runner-up and two semifinal finishes highlight his young, three-year professional career. D) Defining wins -- so far While Evans may look like your average middle-of-the pack European badminton player -- sitting at No. 45 in the world, he may not strike fear into an opponent like China's Lin Dan -- his journey into badminton's elite has been a quick ascension, emphasized by his 2007 season. He entered the year as No. 94, but with wins over then-No. 13 Shoji Sato in August and Korea's Lee Hyun Il (currently No. 14 and once a top-three talent) in October, Evans has been rising quickly in the ranks. Like an American When American Howard Bach has to resort to playing a fake Chinese badminton player in a VitaminWater commercial to help get notoriety for the sport in the U.S., Scott Evans can sympathize. Certainly, he is known in Ireland in the right circles, but his sport isn't anywhere close to where he would like it to be in terms of public recognition. "The words ‘badminton' and ‘support' do not really go hand in hand in Ireland," he said of fan appreciation of the sport. "Badminton is as about as important (in Ireland) as it is in the U.S. ... Even cricket is more popular than badminton in Ireland, but our national governing body is doing everything they can to try and raise the profile of the game, and each year more young people are taking up the sport, so the future looks bright." Getting help For a long time, Evans went without an actual coach in his corner during games. It wasn't until early 2006 that he had such a luxury. "It was always a little bit disheartening when there was nobody sitting in the coach's chair," Evans told the Irish Independent. "When you're playing, it's obviously very difficult to see where you might be going wrong in a match. You need somebody to point out your mistakes and give advice." Evans' current coach is former world No. 1 player Jim Laugesen, who took the role in December of 2006 and whom Evans credits for his climb up the rankings ladder. "He has guided me thru thick and thin in the last 14 months," Evans said in February of this year. "Without him none of this would be possible." Can't hurt to advertise With a coach, Evans actually has someone to travel with him consistently. His family, save for a few events near Ireland, rarely can afford to make the long-distance travels. "It was a life changing decision for me as I had to leave school, but my family supported me, and I can't thank them enough for that," Evans said. "They keep me going, and when I need to talk to someone, they are there for me. My dad is still involved in the sport, and he runs an online store for all racket sports goods. He can be found at www.rackets.ie. Just tell him Scott sent you when you visit his online shop." http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=636/bio/index.html