Singapore Badminton Scene

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Loh, Jul 2, 2012.

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    I just recalled that the SBA building was not sold but returned back to the Singapore Sports Council I believe, when the lease was up.
     
  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Mindset of S'pore shuttler must change

    By Lim Say Heng
    The New Paper
    Thursday, Jun 27, 2013

    SINGAPORE - Fudnemental issues like the poor attitude and discipline of players, and their chronic lack of ambition, are hindering the progress of Singapore badminton, according to some in the fraternity The New Paper spoke to on Monday.

    The lack of success in the sport here came into sharp focus at the Li-Ning Singapore Open, where only the mixed doubles pair of Terry Yeo and Yao Lei progressed beyond the first round.

    It was the Republic's worst showing in the tournament since 2006.

    Speaking to the Straits Times on the sidelines of the event on Sunday, Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) president Lee Yi Shyan promised a "serious review" of the internal workings of the national sports association, including issues like player-coach communication, tournament plans and coaching methodologies.

    A source, who has intimate knowledge of the national set-up, feels that some national shuttlers simply lack discipline and have it easy. Speaking to TNP on the condition of anonymity, the source said: "The players need to have more focus and discipline during training."

    "Little things like turning up slightly late during training sessions or bargaining with coaches on drills should not happen. The coaches know best and the players should just follow their instructions, no matter how tired they are. The players also don't do extra work outside of official training sessions."

    Ronald Susilo, Olympic quarter-finalist in 2004 and a former world No. 6, says shuttlers need to work harder to bridge the gap between themselves and the world-class players.

    The 34-year-old said: "In the past, I would run in the mornings or do extra work or whatever I felt I was weaker in, after training. It was just to make myself better. The players would have to work on their own and work even harder, since they are still not up to world-class standard, yet."

    Now a coach with his own academy, Susilo believes that the Republic's shuttlers should compete and do well in lower-tier competitions, before progressing to more prestigious tournaments.

    He said: "I started out playing in the Satellite Opens and doing well in those tournaments helped my confidence a lot. It would be better for a player's morale, gaining exposure and succeeding against other players who are around the same standard."

    The Li-Ning Singapore Open is a SuperSeries level competition, second to only the SuperSeries Premier competitions on the tournament circuit.

    Lower-tier competitions include the Grand Prix Gold and International Series tournaments.

    Wong Shoon Keat, who won Singapore's only South-east Asia Games men's singles gold in 1983, believes that local players dare not dream of becoming world-beaters as they don't see a future in the sport.

    Another reason for the lack of results, according to Wong, is the lack of continuity between the previous generation of stars and the current crop of players.

    Not ready to step up

    Speaking to TNP, he said: "When Ronald, Kendrick (Lee) and even Li Li retired, the likes of Derek (Wong), Ashton (Chen) and Gu Juan were not ready to step up."


    The Republic's shuttlers are losing out to countries such as Japan, Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan because of the strong support structure in those nations.

    "Companies in Japan and Taiwan basically support the players instead of their associations, and allow them to train," he revealed.

    "In Thailand, clubs unearth talent from provinces and take good care of them; it is a way to a better life for some of the players. The SBA is doing a good job in helping the shuttlers to get more money, but the truth is that the best players at school level come from the top schools. They tend not to continue with badminton when they start junior college because they can earn more working outside in the future than playing full-time."

    SBA chief executive officer Bobby Lee acknowledged that improving their budget is a big challenge.

    The Straits Times reported in March that the SBA receives about $250,000 a year from the Singapore Sports Council to subsidise the cost of sending shuttlers for competitions. That represents about half the sum needed.

    The same report said the SBA receives more than $1.5 million a year, with the rest going into paying salaries and staging events.

    Lee said: "We have seen inflation in our expenditure over the years, but this has not been matched by our income from various sources. We should also look into our system of promoting our younger players to the senior team, as well as how to widen the base of our young players in schools."
     
    #42 Loh, Jun 27, 2013
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2013
  3. quixilver

    quixilver Regular Member

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    Many parents have this kind of mindset too and it made them drive their kids to focus on formal studies instead of having a professional career in sports, as what mentioned by LCW above.
    However, we have seen that during the past few years, badminton has been getting more and more popular, the numbers of local, regional and international tournaments are much increased. Compared to the older days, recently we have been watching more players from sub-dominant countries play at the world-class competitions. At the same time, tournament sponsors have been increasing their contributions to boost up the prizes, which is a good sign of a brighter future for badminton athletes.
     
  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    How's Life?

    When I look back to my own life, there is nothing much that I can call special. :D

    But of course, I was born at a time when Singapore was still under the British momentarily and then the Japanese took over quite suddenly. Families were fighting for survival and I was only a baby, ignorant of what was happening around me. I was glad I survived too as many babies were killed because of the difficult circumstances then.

    Compared to now, Singapore is "paradise" as there are so many opportunities for the young. Singapore is no longer underdeveloped and we are able to get almost everything we need. No more shortage of food, housing and jobs in general, although as with many other countries, inflation is always a complaint. :)

    Yes we have to work hard especially when we are young to enjoy the benefits, so that we need not have to depend on others when we retire. But can many of us say we really enjoy our work or we just work to survive financially?

    If your kids are talented in badminton, would you want them to be badminton professionals?

    LIFE IS SHORT especially when you are getting old and seeing even young people dying of illnesses or unnatural events, such as accidents, natural disasters, etc. Others live in pain throughout their lives or they need help to get around. Some of them even took their own lives when they can't resolve their personal problems. :(

    So I think when the opportunity is presented to a talented sportsteenager to be further trained as a professional, take it. :D

    You can be usefully trained as a sportsperson only when you are young and still have the energy and passion for the sport. Although some older athletes do attain Olympic glory, most of the champions are relatively young. Some are champions when they are still teenagers, just like the many Chinese divers at past Olympic Games. Of course we also read reports of very young people being forced to undergo training in very inhumane circumstances too.

    But the point is that the best time to be trained as an accomplished athlete is when you are still young, during school-going age, not past prime. The Singapore Sports School, as with many other sports schools, also provides academic training to ensure that the athlete is educated enough to pursue academic studies later in life.

    As mentioned in the previous post, prize monies in badminton tournaments are increasing and when the player is good, to become a millionaire from prize monies and commercial endorsements is possible, just like LCW and LD

    When LD looks back to his achievements during his old age, he should be a satisfied man. ;) Now he can pursue other interests if he wishes, even at a relatively young age around 30, still with so many years of active years ahead of him. Singapore's average life span for a male is 80 years.

    I believe the SBA has a "retirement fund" to assist deserving players after their playing days are over. Some may want to take up management or business courses, etc after retirement from badminton. I think Ronald Susilo, among others, has been a recipient of such awards or grants.

    So if one is talented, go for it and make one's life more special and rewarding. :)
     
  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Taufik Hidayat as role model

    "Taufik’s father, Aris Haris used the occasion to present to his son a diary he had kept since Taufik was 10.

    The diary tells stories about how the 2005 World Champion fought to become a badminton star, including traveling four days a week to Bandung, 40 kilometers from his home in Pangalengan, to practice badminton.

    “I never tried to push him to play badminton. He wanted it. I just told him ‘if this is what you really want, you have to give your best,’ he agreed and I supported him all the way,” Aris said. “What I have been dreaming of is to see him as a successful person. Not like me, a farmer from a small town. God gives him more than we have expected. I’m proud of him. I wish him the best of luck in his life.”

    Perhaps the above story recently posted in BC can motivate a young badminton talent to "go for it".

    It was during a surprise party given by TH's family soon after TH officially retired.
     
    #45 Loh, Jun 28, 2013
    Last edited: Jun 28, 2013
  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    National shuttler traded books for badminton

    By Foo Jie Ying
    The New Paper
    Sunday, Jul 07, 2013


    SINGAPORE - It has been almost a decade since she traded her books for shuttlecocks. But not once has national shuttler Vanessa Neo regretted her bold decision.

    Neo, 26, still remembers her friends' reactions when she broke the news to them.

    "Ninety per cent of my friends thought I was stupid for quitting. I got a spot in Raffles Junior College and my future was mapped out nicely for me," she said.

    Her parents, on the other hand, were more supportive. "They told me that I could study anytime and that an athlete's career is short."

    Neo plans to pursue a degree in human resource and business management after her sporting career. But not being in school does not mean that Neo hasn't learnt anything valuable.

    "Badminton has taught me perseverance," she said. "And most importantly, I found out that although the hard work you put in might not pay off, you will never realise your dreams if you don't work hard at all."

    Neo's interest in badminton was piqued by her parents, who introduced her to the game when she turned eight.

    Her talent in the sport started to show when she joined the badminton team in primary school. She was only in Primary 4 when she played for the Primary 6 team.

    As a national shuttler, the pressure is on her to perform. But she sees this responsibility as a badge of honour, one she is happy to wear.

    "I am proud to represent Singapore. I want to do well and do my nation proud," she said.

    Neo was recently adopted by Fuji Xerox under a scheme where companies fund their adopted players' development financially, or employ them after their sporting careers are over.
     

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  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Fu glad to pair up once more

    This week’s Li-Ning Singapore Open will be only the third tournament that Fu Mingtian (left) will play alongside Shinta Mulia Sari.


    By May Chen
    The Straits Times
    Saturday, Jun 22, 2013

    SINGAPORE - As a badminton player, Fu Mingtian is used to lamenting about her muscular thighs, the result of years of lunging and leaping around the court.

    But the 22-year-old now has another thing to fret over - her shoulders and arms, which have also grown in bulk since her recent switch from singles to doubles.

    "My shoulders and arms have gotten more muscular. Sometimes it feels like my clothes have shrunk," she said with a laugh.


    Little wonder, since Fu now wields a special racket that weighs at least twice as heavy as the 78-80g one she uses during competitions.

    Greater emphasis is now put on working her upper body in her thrice-weekly gym sessions. For instance, she used to bench-press 35kg, but that is now 40kg and set to go even heavier.

    Said Fu: "Playing singles is a lot about your court craft and being mobile, while doubles requires a lot more explosive power and fast reflexes.

    "Coach (Yoo Yong Sung) is always saying that I lack power so that is something I've been working hard on."

    Added the reigning SEA Games singles champion: "When I was still in singles, I thought doubles was fun. But now that I'm playing doubles, I realise how tough the training is."

    She will partner Shinta Mulia Sari in the women's doubles and Terry Hee in the mixed doubles in this week's Li-Ning Singapore Open (already past).

    The US$200,000 (S$250,000) event will be Fu's fifth tournament since making the switch, but only the third time that she is competing alongside Shinta.
    Just getting to the main draw of the women's doubles will be no mean feat for the duo, who are still a partnership in testing.

    They will have to get past Japan's Reika Kakiiwa and Miyuki Maeda in tomorrow's qualifiers, before they earn a berth against world No. 1 pair and top seeds Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli of China in the first round.

    While doubles is less glamorous than singles, Fu is glad she now has a partner by her side.

    Admitting that she is easily overcome by nerves, she said: "When you're alone on court, it can be harder to think of solutions. With a partner, you can discuss strategies and you don't feel like you're fighting alone."

    Financial rewards in doubles are split between two players, but for Fu, the progress she has made in training and on court has far greater value.

    Noting that she welcomed the change in scenery, Fu, who experienced success as a doubles player in 2008 when she and Yao Lei took the world junior title, said: "It's been a very refreshing experience so far. I'll continue to work hard and play well in more tournaments."
     

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    #47 Loh, Jul 7, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2013
  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Chayut tastes pleasures and pitfalls of going solo

    By May Chen
    The Straits Time
    Saturday, Jun 22, 2013


    SINGAPORE - He climbed to a mixed-doubles world ranking as high as No. 16 with partner Yao Lei but Chayut Triyachart is now no longer part of the national badminton set-up.

    The 24-year-old left the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) about seven months ago to venture solo, favouring greater flexibility in training and competition in order to straddle both his athletic and business careers.

    Now based out of Singapore and Thailand, the business marketing diploma holder has been running a business with investment interests in areas like property for the past year.

    Leaving the SBA was by no means an easy decision to make, said Chayut, who first toyed with the idea as early as late 2011.

    "I thought long and hard about it because I still love to play badminton and I don't want to give it up at my age," he told The Straits Times. "But with my business, I can't commit to the (full-time) training."

    Besides taking full responsibility for his own training and competition schedule, Chayut now also has to source for his own sponsors and playing partners.

    He partnered Thai Sudket Prapakamol in the men's doubles of the Singapore Open yesterday but lost 21-23, 21-16, 15-21 to Indonesian pair Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki and Hendra Aprida Gunawan in the opening round.

    Originally from Udon Thani in Thailand, Chayut came to Singapore in 2001 to study.

    He was awarded citizenship in 2010, a stellar year in his sporting career as he partnered Yao to win the Commonwealth Games mixed doubles bronze in New Delhi.

    They also took the title at the Romania International Championships - a fourth-tier tournament on the Badminton World Federation circuit - and reached the final of the India Grand Prix Gold (third tier) that year.


    Said Chayut: "There are a lot of things that I've yet to accomplish. I didn't make the Olympics last year, I don't have a medal from the SEA Games and I've also not taken part in the Asian Games.

    "In the future, maybe I'll come back. The door is always open for me."

    While SBA chief executive officer Bobby Lee agreed that the association is ready to welcome shuttlers who wish to rejoin its fold, things could be trickier for doubles players.

    He said: "It could be a little bit tougher since our doubles players would have their own existing partners. It would be up to the coach and players to decide."


    Chayut Triyachart tasted glory when he partnered Yao Lei to clinch the 2010 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles bronze medal in India. The 24-year-old now runs a business with investment interests in areas like property, and also has to source for his own sponsors and playing partners as he juggles business with badminton
     

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  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Task force to review sport after dismal showing at Li-Ning S’pore Open

    By Low Lin Fhoong


    13 July


    SINGAPORE — Following the dismal performance from Singapore’s national shuttlers at last month’s Li-Ning Singapore Open, a task force will be set up by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) to conduct an internal review of the sport.

    Chaired by SBA President Lee Yi Shyan, the task force will consist of stakeholders, including badminton officials and ex-committee members, coaches, parents and sponsors.

    According to Lee, who is also Senior Minister of State (Trade and Industry, and National Development), the task force will be ready to begin work in September, with the review to be completed in a year.

    While the annual marquee event from June 18 to 23 drew 30,000 spectators to the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Lee acknowledged that the national shuttlers had not done well.

    None of the shuttlers from Singapore’s 23-member squad had qualified for the quarter-finals in what was possibly the Republic’s worst showing since 2006.


    Apart from Fu Mingtian’s women’s singles gold medal win at the 2011 South-east Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia, Singapore fans have had little to cheer about, with the players struggling to make an impact at major tournaments.

    “We didn’t do well this year ... this is an important review because we have always operated on a basis of certain constraints — limited funding and a limited supply of players,” said Lee at the Li-Ning Singapore Open thank-you reception at the Chinese Swimming Club yesterday.

    “We have to ask if financial incentives are enough (for players), and whether they need better motivation, counselling ... that is something to look into. We will come up with the recommendations within a year.”


    The review is expected to include the SBA players and management, and will look into tournament schedules, training methods and player-coach dynamics and working relationships. Low Lin Fhoong
     
  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Li-Ning S’pore Open gets world body approval

    [​IMG]

    Efforts to jazz up the Li-Ning Singapore Open were well-received by the audience and sponsors. PHOTO: WEE TECK HIAN


    By Dan Guen Chin
    15 July 2013


    6 hours 54 min ago

    SINGAPORE — The recent Li-Ning Singapore Open badminton championship has received the thumbs-up from the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the governing body for the sport, despite the 11th-hour withdrawal of big-name shuttlers, securing an approval rating of 7.5 out of a possible 10.

    The BWF’s marketing committee was particularly impressed by the Singapore Badminton Association’s (SBA) move to introduce corporate boxes, Singapore style, at the June 19-24 event at the Indoor Stadium, which it says was a first in the history of the Super Series tournaments.

    Responding to queries from TODAY, a BWF spokesman, who declined to be named, said: “The corporate boxes were done very nicely. The installation of sofas, and the wine-and-dine concept of the boxes were the first of its kind.

    “Although the Denmark Masters also had corporate boxes with food and drinks served, they were only available for the semi-finals and final. In contrast, the Singapore Open had the boxes for the entire tournament.”

    In fact, the BWF spokesman said the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) were impressed and have sent a delegation to Singapore to find out more about the concept of the corporate boxes.

    “The Malaysian Open will be promoted from a Super Series event to a Premier event next year, and so the BAM is keen to make the tournament a corporate success,”
    said the spokesman. Super Series Premier events offer more prize money and ranking points than Super Series tournaments, and usually attract all the top shuttlers.

    The Singapore Open also scored high marks for using truss lighting systems for the first time. Truss lighting systems are used to increase the brightness of the courts to aid photography and television filming.


    “By BWF requirements, the Singapore Open did not need to have truss lighting as it is just a Super Series event tournament, not a Premier event. Truss lighting is required for Premier events,” explained the spokesman. “But the SBA went ahead and provided them anyway because they wanted to enhance their tournament and we are impressed.”

    What prevented the tournament from scoring higher marks were the late withdrawals of top shuttlers, as well as empty VIP seats during the event. For example, Indonesia’s top three men’s shuttlers, 2010 winner Sony Dwi Kuncoro, 2008 runner-up Simon Santoso, and world No 24 Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka all pulled out on the eve of the tournament, while two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan withdrew days earlier.

    China’s top women’s doubles pair Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, and Ratchanok Inaton, Thailand’s world No 5 and two-time women’s world junior champion, also withdrew at the 11th hour. All cited injuries as the reason.

    The BWF also said that while crowd figures were impressive — more than 30,000 people in total attended the
    five-day event — there were noticeable patches of empty seats in the Premium section at the Indoor Stadium. “There were some unoccupied chairs in the Premier seats, which were very glaring. Maybe it’s because of the ticket prices,” said the spokesman, referring to S$28 that spectators had to pay for single-day tickets, and S$200 for season passes.

    SBA Vice-President Francis Koh said he was pleased to hear that the tournament scored well in the BWF’s books. “We tried several new things this year in a bid to jazz up the event, and judging from the response of our stakeholders, including the audience and sponsors, I think the efforts were well-received,” he said.

    “Despite the late withdrawals, we had just under 31,000 people, which was close to the attendance figures for 2011, which was our target.”


    He added that the SBA’s decision to move the tournament to April for the 2014-17 cycle should help to minimise pull-outs. Currently, the Singapore Open is held on the back of the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold event and the Indonesia Open, a Super Series Premier event.
     
  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Corporate Boxes and Truss Lighting System

    Maybe you can see the "corporate boxes" and "truss lighting system" from the following pictures I've taken at the event.

    However, I observed that the lowered "Truss Lighting System" tends to block or obscure some of the materials like advertisements, banners, score results or flags that sponsors and others may want to exhibit.

    The advertisements mounted on the four truss panels are also ineffective as they are not highlighted by lights or such-like gadgets. On the other hand if they are too bright, they may interfere with the spectators' view..
     

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  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Taskforce to improve Badminton

    [h=1]
    By May Chen

    The Straits Times
    Monday, Jul 15, 2013
    [/h]
    The Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) will engage stakeholders from both within and outside the association to help improve local shuttlers' winning chances.

    SBA chief Lee Yi Shyan will head the taskforce, which is expected to start coming up with recommendations for the sport within the next two months.

    Past members of the SBA's executive committee, local coaches and even parents of current players will be consulted as part of the process.

    "We want to consult people who have ideas and who want to tell us what we can do," said Mr Lee, who is also Senior Minister of State for National Development, and Trade and Industry.

    "I hope that this consultation will help us to bring together new ideas as to what we should do to bring up the standard.

    "It's an important review because we've always operated on the basis of certain constraints. The time now is to challenge ourselves - whether some of these constraints can be removed."

    The taskforce will spend the next year examining various aspects of the national team's training methodology. It will also look at how to help the association deal with issues like a limited budget and supply of talent.

    Executing the recommendations and for them to start bearing fruit, however, will take a longer time, Mr Lee reminded.

    This comes after he promised an internal review after the local shuttlers' disappointing outing at the Li-Ning Singapore Open last month.

    Then, despite fielding a team of 23 in the home event, no Singaporean made the quarter-final stage, making it the country's worst showing since the 2006 edition.

    High hopes had been held for women's singles Gu Juan in particular, after the world No. 20 beat world No. 3 Saina Nehwal of India just weeks earlier.

    Xing Aiying, ranked 55th, had also made it into the last four of the women's singles last year.

    Both crashed out in the first round.

    The nation's singles players have also struggled to make it past the last 16 in any Superseries-level (second tier) or Grand Prix Gold (third tier) tournaments since the year began.

    Gu's runner-up finish at the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold in June was the only exception.

    Said Mr Lee: "Once we have gathered all these (ideas) and we look through our system, we can set higher standards and improve the organisation.

    "(What we want) in the end is to empower our players to do their best on court."
     
  13. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    'Important review' of SBA's processes coming up

    ASIAONE
    NEWS
    SPORTS




    By Lim Say Heng
    The New Paper
    Tuesday, Jul 16, 2013


    SINGAPORE - An "important review" of the way Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) operates its high-performance structure will commence in September this year.

    The taskforce, headed by SBA president Lee Yi Shyan, will seek the views of the local badminton fraternity, such as non-SBA coaches, sponsors, parents and former executive committee members, on how to improve both the current national team and the talent development pathway.

    Mr Lee, who is the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said this at the Li-Ning Singapore Open appreciation dinner last night at the Chinese Swimming Club.

    The issue came to the fore after last month's Badminton World Federation SuperSeries tournament, where no Singaporean made the quarter-final stage of the tournament, the Republic's worst showing since at least the 2006 edition.

    Mr Lee promised a "serious review" after the tournament, and The New Paper also spoke to several people in the fraternity, who said some local shuttlers lack discipline and ambition.

    Said Mr Lee: "We are in the process of forming a taskforce and the purpose of this taskforce is to look at the various aspects of the national team's training methodology, and internal processes in terms of communications and management of players.

    "We will give ourselves one year (for the review), bearing in mind that we are about to start our preparations for next year's Singapore Open because it's been brought forward to April. There are many parts which SBA has got to piece together."

    Constraints

    Asked if it would be a fine-tuning or major rethink of the SBA's processes, Mr Lee cited constraints in budget, number of talent and avenues for overseas stints.

    He then said: "It's an important review, whether it's big or small really depends on whether in the end we can lift some of these constraints."


    But he did warn that the implementation of some of the ideas will take some time, especially when it comes to beefing up the national squad and changing the mindset of talented young shuttlers to give elite badminton a shot.

    Addressing comments on the players' motivation, Mr Lee said: "In terms of financial incentives, our players can be paid monthly between $1,200 and about $3,000, but they can be paid as much as $200,000 a year if they achieve improvements in world rankings and win tournaments."

    He qualified the last figure by saying it includes internal incentives, sponsors' rewards and special funding for major Games such as the Olympics.

    He added: "Players who don't perform will continue to receive the basic salary... but whether financial incentive alone is enough, or whether there can be better motivation through counselling and coaching, these are things we have to look into."
     
  14. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Shuttler Derek Wong out of dad's shadow

    By Eve Yap
    The Sunday Times
    Tuesday, Jul 16, 2013


    SINGAPORE - Badminton coach Wong Shoon Keat is in a quandary: Does he let the youngest of his four sons pursue badminton full-time next year?

    "Jason's coaches say he has fire and can develop into a good doubles or mixed doubles player," says Mr Wong of the 16-year-old, who is in the national intermediate squad.

    But he does not want history to repeat itself. His second son Derek trained full-time with the Singapore Badminton Association after his O levels but lost momentum when he enlisted in national service.

    "My number one regret is that Derek didn't get a deferment for national service. If I had known that would be the case, I would have asked him to continue with his studies," says Mr Wong, 56, who was Singapore's last South-east Asian Games men's singles champion back in 1983.

    When Derek returned to badminton full-time at 19, it was "difficult for him to make up for the lost time", says his father.

    Derek, currently Singapore's No. 1 player and the world's No. 51, says he trained at a "60 per cent" pace while serving in the Singapore Police Force. "You lose the momentum."

    The 24-year-old and the other local male singles shuttlers lost their matches during the Li-Ning Singapore Open qualifiers last month.

    His mother Irene Lee, 54, also a badminton coach, says: "It would be ideal if they could defer national service during the best years of their life. But as long as my boys love the game, I will support them if they want to go full-time."

    The Wong family - including eldest son Shawn, 27, a badminton coach, and third son Jamie, 19, a national serviceman - live in an HDB executive maisonette in Serangoon.

    What was Derek like as a child?

    Mr Wong: He was often mistaken by his teammates in the association's junior team as cocky.

    Ms Lee: He was on the quiet side, like Jamie. But the other two boys are chatty, like me.
    Derek: I remember I just wanted to play badminton. I wasn't interested in other things.

    Mr Wong, did you nudge your sons into becoming badminton players?

    Mr Wong: We used to own a shop in the old Singapore Badminton Hall in Guillemard Road, selling badminton equipment. It was the frequent hangout for Derek and his brothers. That's probably how they learnt to love the sport after being surrounded by it in their growing-up years.

    How high were your expectations of Derek?

    Mr Wong: If he didn't play to the No. 1 or No. 2 standard which he was capable of for his age group, I scolded him.

    Derek: I understood his point. I also felt disappointed if I didn't do my best.

    Ms Lee: I didn't want to say too much because the daddy would already have made the comments. I might point out, say, a drop shot.

    Derek, do you ever feel like you are in the shadow of your father?

    Derek: I did during secondary school because I wasn't up to standard, not having played or won any big matches. But my game is more mature now and I've grown out of feeling inferior.

    Mr Wong: He won against Taufik Hidayat, the former Olympic and world champion, in the 2011 World Badminton Championships. I'm also proud that he represented Singapore in the Olympics last year.

    Who was stricter, mum or dad?

    Mr Wong: My wife is very strict in getting the kids to greet all the uncles and aunties every time they meet.

    Ms Lee: I remind them to do so, even till now. We are Chinese, that's our custom and that's how my parents taught me to show respect for my elders.

    Did you cane your sons?

    Derek: When I was in lower primary in Catholic High School (Primary), I'd watch TV the whole day after coming back from school.

    Mr Wong: We worked till 10pm daily at our shop.

    Ms Lee: When we came home to find they hadn't done their homework, it was frustrating. So they got caned.

    Derek: My brothers and I also fought about anything and everything.

    Ms Lee: I nudge you, you irritate me - that sort of thing. I didn't like them fighting. The one who argued about who started the fight got more strokes.

    Derek: Though mum is the strict one, I had to watch that I didn't get on my dad's nerves. I was a show-off when I was eight. In one practice session, I made my opponent run around the court while I sat on it.

    Mr Wong: I don't remember the incident.

    Derek: He gave me a tongue-lashing. It was a small incident but a big deal to me - I learnt to respect my opponents after that.

    If the parent-child roles were reversed, what would you do differently?

    Mr Wong: If I were Derek, I would not have given up studying to play full-time. There aren't enough good players here to compete against and push him and others to the next level.

    Ms Lee: I would still take up badminton full-time after my O levels.

    Derek: I would encourage my child to pursue a career in sports if I thought he had the talent.



    From left: Irene Lee, 54, Wong Shoon Keat, 56, Jason Wong, 15, and Derek Wong, 24.
     

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  15. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Teenage shuttler Citra sets sights on Olympics

    By Fabius Chen
    The Straits Times
    Saturday, Jul 20, 2013


    SINGAPORE - At first glance, Citra Putri appears to be your average secondary school student.

    A string of colourful beads that spell her name hanging off her backpack, she even considers a South Korean heartthrob as her idol, just like many starry-eyed Singapore teenagers.

    But then she speaks of a desire to play badminton in the Olympics. "It's been my dream for a long time," she says.

    As she turns around, the word "Sari" comes into view. Emblazoned across the back of her jersey, the family name serves as a reminder of the weight of expectation on her young shoulders.

    The 17-year-old does have some way to go to follow the footsteps of elder sister Shinta Mulia Sari, who played in last summer's London Games, and big brothers Hendri Kurniawan Saputra and Hendra Wijaya, the men's doubles bronze medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

    Still, Citra took a step in the right direction last month, when she teamed with Anglican High School's Liang Yun to clinch the women's doubles gold at the Asean Schools Games in Hanoi.

    She failed to retain her mixed doubles won with Terry Hee from the Singapore Sports School last year, finishing third in the competition (with Bimo Adi Prakoso from Montfort Secondary) as well as in the women's team event.

    Her efforts contributed to Singapore's overall haul of eight golds, five silvers and 15 bronzes.



    In all, the Republic's shuttlers returned with four medals (one gold, three bronzes), while basketball (one bronze), gymnastics (three golds, two silvers), swimming (two golds, one silver, three bronzes), table tennis (two golds, one silver, six bronzes) and athletics (one silver, two bronzes) also had fruitful outings.

    For Citra, a Secondary 4 student at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School who idolises South Korea shuttler Lee Yong Dae "because I like his face", it was another milestone in a sporting journey that began in Jakarta at age six.

    Citra is the eighth of nine children in a family whose bonds were built by spending countless hours on the badminton court. Since moving to Singapore in 2009, the teenager has found her inspiration in Shinta, as well as Hendri and Hendra - both of whom now run their own badminton school.

    "Once or twice a week, my sister and I train at our brothers' academy," she said. "If there's time, we have dinner and talk about school and family."

    Inevitably, Shinta, 25, has some words of wisdom for her baby sister: "Train hard and work towards your goals."

    Indeed, all signs point to the possibility that a fourth member of the Sari family could soon be donning Singapore colours.

    "We are tracking her progress," said Chua Yong Joo, the Singapore Badminton Association's senior technical manager.

    Until then, Citra will have to content herself with being a dead ringer for her more recognisable elder sister.

    "Many times, people have asked to take photos with me because they think I'm Shinta," she revealed shyly. "I don't like it... sometimes they ask for my number and I just run away.



    "With the family name Sari on her jersey, Citra Putri is expected to follow her sister and two brothers into the Singapore badminton team.
     

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  16. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Urgent need to overhaul Singapore badminton

    (The following article is a bit old but still relevant in view of the proposed action to be taken by SBA.)


    The New Paper
    Thursday, Jun 27, 2013


    SINGAPORE - She was the toast of the nation when she clinched the Republic's first gold medal in the women's singles badminton event at the 2011 South-east Asia (SEA) Games in Indonesia.

    A little over 18 months later, Fu Mingtian is now playing doubles. She says she has lost interest playing singles.

    She partnered Shinta Mulia Sari at this year's Li-Ning Singapore Open and failed to even make it past the qualifying round. She partnered Terry Hee in the mixed doubles and also failed to make it past the first round.

    The hosts featured a team of 23 shuttlers in this year's tournament and only the mixed doubles pair of Terry Yeo and Yao Lei got out of the first round, only to come unstuck in the second.

    Singapore badminton has been in the doldrums for some time now. Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) president Lee Yi Shyan's comments in Monday's Straits Times of a major internal review is long overdue.

    The sport has a long and proud tradition in Singapore
    . The healthy turnout at the Singapore Indoor Stadium over the course of the Singapore Open last week - Sunday's final was witnessed by 8,500 fans - is an indication of the interest in the country.

    Yet, despite such support, and the fact that the national sports association has long been one of the best-funded by the Singapore Sports Council in the country, the SBA has floundered.

    Mr Lee, who is the Senior Minister of State for National Development, and Trade and Industry, vowed he and his team will re-examine various strategies of the SBA.

    Over the last few months, the Football Association of Singapore has sent a couple of youngsters on attachments to Europe. Talented youngster Mahathir Azeman is in Brazil.

    The Singapore Table Tennis Association ensure their paddlers play, train and spar abroad in world-class environments like Japan and, of course, China.
    It is time the SBA adopts the same strategy for its talented youngsters. Surely the association's Chinese singles coach, Luan Ching, can form the link.

    In a sport where Asia dominates, the SBA does not have to look far to tap on expertise and world-class playing grounds to improve its shuttlers.

    Perhaps the SBA's new strategy could see its major focus turn to the development of its younger shuttlers.

    That may be radical, but there must be a new blueprint, if Singapore badminton aims to develop shuttlers who consistently make their mark on the world stage.

    There have been one-offs.

    Like Gu Juan's shock progress to the last eight of the All-England Championships in 2011.

    Like Yao and Shinta's victory in the women's doubles at the 2010 Singapore Open.

    No momentum

    But the shuttlers and the SBA have failed to work together to sustain any sort of momentum.

    Not since Ronald Susilo's feats - he was the world No. 6 at one point and beat China's Lin Dan at the 2004 Athens Olympics, when he reached the quarter-finals - in the first half of the new millennium has Singapore badminton enjoyed any kind of success on a consistent basis at the elite level.

    The SBA must develop a sounder strategy to grow its funds. The long-term goal must include developing world-class local coaches.

    Badminton chief Mr Lee, who became SBA president in 2008, said in 2010 that the target was for the men's and women's teams to qualify for the 2015 Thomas Cup and Uber Cup finals, respectively.

    The top 12 nations in the world do battle in the elite men's and women's team competitions, respectively, and right now, Singapore are well behind.

    I don't think even a major overhaul by the SBA will narrow the gap at this juncture, but at least it's a start.
     

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  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Derek scores upset victory at World Championships

    By Low Lin Fhoong
    POSTED: 06 Aug 2013 6:22 AM


    SINGAPORE: Shuttler Derek Wong has claimed a major scalp at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships in Guangzhou after posting a 24-22, 21-16 first round victory over Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who is seeded tenth for the men's singles.

    Both players had only met once at the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold in 2011, with world No 10 Sony - a bronze medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games - claiming victory, 21-18, 21-18, two years ago.

    But a first round match-up at the world championships saw a lower-ranked Wong (No 52) upsetting the form books on Monday evening to claim a hard-fought 2-0 win over the three-time Asian champion (2002, 2003, 2005).

    Wong will face Malaysia's Daren Liew in the second round on Tuesday in his bid to qualify for the round of 16.

    Teammate Ashton Chen found his world championships campaign halted in the first round after a 2-1 (16-21, 21-11, 21-13) loss to Takuma Ueda of Japan.

    All-England quarter-finalist (2011) Gu Juan will come up against Lithuania's Akvile Stapusaityte in the first round of the women's singles on Tuesday, while 14th seeded mixed doubles pair Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Vanessa Neo will face South Koreans Baek Choel Shin and Hye Won Eom after earning a bye into the second round.

    The much anticipated clash between reigning Olympic champion Lin Dan (China) and Malaysian world No 1 Lee Chong Wei remained on track on Monday with both shuttlers defeating their respective first round opponents, Thailand's Sattawat Pongnairat (2-0) and Scott Evans of Ireland (2-0).

    Lin Dan will meet Eric Pang of the Netherlands in the next round, while Lee will face Indonesia's Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka in his bid to capture his first world championship title.
    Men's singles first round results:

    Lin Dan (CHN) bt Sattawat Pongnairat (USA) 21-6 21-9
    Lee Chong Wei (MAS) bt Scott Evans (IRL) 21-11, 21-15
    Chen Long (CHN) bt Luka Wraber (AUT) 21-2, 21-5
    Du Pengyu (CHN) bt Shon Wan-Ho (KOR) 21-17, 16-21, 21-13
    Boonsak Ponsana (THA) bt Matthieu Lo Ying Ping (FRA) 21-13, 21-12
    Hu Yun(HKG) bt Niluka Karunaratne (SRI) 21-13, 21-16

    Nguyen Tien Minh (VIE) bt Joe Wu (NZL) 21-8, 21-11
    Tommy Sugiarto (INA) bt Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (DEN) 21-18 15-21 21-17
    Jan O Jorgensen (DEN) bt Lee Dong-Keun (KOR) 21-16 17-21 21-15
    Derek Wong Zi Liang (SIN) bt Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) 24-22 21-16
    Marc Zweibler (GER) bt Valeriy Atrashchenkov (UKR) 21-15, 18-21, 21-14

    Ajay Jayaram (IND) bt Wing Ki Wong (HKG) 22-20, 17-21, 21-15
    Parupalli Kashyap (IND) bt Raul Must (EST) 19-21, 21-14, 21-9
    Wang Zhengming (CHN) bt Yuhan Tan (BEL) 21-17, 21-14
    Chong Wei Feng (MAS) bt Rajiv Ouseph (ENG) 21-11, 21-15
    Takuma Ueda (JAP) bt Ashton Chen Yong Zhao (SIN) 16-21, 21-11, 21-13
    Kenichi Tago (JAP) withdrew without playing, conceding a walkover to Eric Pang (NED)


    -TODAY/AFP
     
    #57 Loh, Aug 5, 2013
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2013
  18. scorpion1

    scorpion1 Regular Member

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    Great work by Derek Wong.
     
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Yes he needs the confidence to face Daren Liew today.

    Your Ajay also did well to beat seeded WKW.
     
  20. Justin L

    Justin L Regular Member

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    Well done, Derek Wong, scalping another famous Indonesian player in Sony Dwi Kuncoro, having a few years back, in the WC 2011 I think, beaten Taufik Hidayat. Hope to see you get the better of Darren Liew tomorrow. All the best!
     

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