2004 World Junior Tournament...

[Loh]

Afterwards, anyone in the crowd was welcome to approach the chinese team for pictures or autographs, etc. I got a few myself . I forgot this fact, but the coach the jr. team is Zhang Ning's husband, so I got to meet him too. Pretty cool for Canadians who don't get this kind of exposure to international players.

How about posting some of your pics here?

 

[CanuckBur]

china exhibition

It was you who won the racquet? Gossip_Lover? There was only one prize for the tickets by the way. I heard there was t-shirt but they didn't give it. Congratulation. Yeah, I bought the tickets too but didn't win anything. The China team only use the Kason titanium 100. The racquets are really light. I was late for the show so I didn't see the WS and may be the MS events.

 

[timeless]

It wasn't my camera . But when I do, I'll try and post them... that is if "I" turn out okay in them hahahaha~!

Another thing I noticed... their Kason racquets are VERY light. Definitely on the lighter spectrum of the Yonex 3U equivalent. China's Kason sponsors were present with a booth to showcase all the entire Kason line, and every single one seemed even balanced, very light, and flexible! I'd would say their entire line ranged from very flexible to not-so-stiff. The most "stiff" still being more flexible than a Yonex Ti10. The Ti10 is the most flexible Yonex racquet I've ever used so I don't really know what to compare it with beyond that. Also, the entire Chinese team uses one model of Kason save one player, not including Chen Jin, which 604Badder reports uses a Yonex MP99(?).

 

[604badder]

.....Also, the entire Chinese team uses one model of Kason save one player, not including Chen Jin, which 604Badder reports uses a Yonex MP99(?).

That's affirmative He broke two strings during the final match, and he had them on top of his bag next to my chair. No mistaking, MP99

 

[panhandle]

After the finals...I went out to a late lunch to Richmond Sushi with some friends at 5:30pm. Around 7pm, the Tiwanese team showed up for dinner and sat next to us in the special room. Funny thing was that we could see each other through the doorway and they recognized me for my ying/yang hair after being seen all week by them as a line judge. One of the other line judges was having dinner with them and I went to talk to him and asked if it was ok for pictures.
My friends were from Taiwan and he really wanted a picture of Cheng (girl's single champ) and it was ok. We all took pictures with her. Then he heard them say they wanted pictures of my hair style and couldn't take it because I was too tall. I had a feeling most people wanted to take my picture at the tourney, especially if the official photographer took a picture of me. So I bent down for them to take pictures....pretty much all of their players had cameras going and it was entertaining because they couldn't get the right angle and proper flash happening. My friend said I was going to be famous in Taiwan now...my picture will be up and talked about.
It could've been worse if I had the Yonex logo dyed on my hair...but I'm a Karakal/Domino rep!!
Side note...my friend said they are called Chinese Taipei because if they were called Taiwan in any competition, China would protest and have them thrown out. This is the only time they have ever won a gold medal in anything too!!
I will post the pics when my friends send them to me.
Cheng is very shy...she was wearing eye glasses, guess she wears contacts when she plays.

 

[wwcbro]

Dives...

Was at the Finals and no one on the forum mentioned what is it like to sit for 4 hours on a hard bench! If I had known I could have bring along a really thick cushion....

Here is my 2 bits spill on the Finals...

Finals started off with the LD, all China affair Tian Q/Yu Y vs Feng C/Pan P. Quite boring so it was a good thing it is the 1st match. Yu Y did a high jump smash whilst warming up. (that is the first time I seen a woman jumpsmash). That & I thought Pan P was the better player of them four. Good smash, flat drives but her partner seem very nervous.

MS, Thought that Gong WJ was going to run away with the match. 1st game was lot of jumpsmashes & hard x-court smashes. Chen practically was just defending and diving to retrive Gong x-courtsmashes. 2nd game started off Gong WJ doing the same but then making lots of mistakes. He requested to towel down a couple of times but was turned down by the umpire..Gong really ticked off the umpire. Bending down to fiddle his shoes so very often and taking his time to receive and eventually got a yellow card. 3rd game was the same, Chen J being very consistent, defending and more diving So overall, good defensive skills+consistency wins. Gong got a really good soft net play where the shuttle seem to just skim the net and tumble right over the tape. He did it a few times so it is no fluke.

LS, man... Taiwan's Cheng Shao Chieh is firecracker of a player. Her diminutive figure belied the speed & power of her strokes. Lu L dwarfed over her, it is like a David vs Goliath kinda of scene. Match was over pretty fast, Cheng simply was too fast, she was there for almost everyshot Lu makes. And she makes Lu works the baseline, pinning her to the back of the court and killing off with drops & x-drops. I think Cheng is the only one who did one dive. So footwork + anticipation + strong wrist strokes wins. Cheng strokes has very little follow-through, hers are the short snapped wrist kind that punch the shuttle.

MD, the only non-China match. Malaysia's Hoon Thien How kinda remind me of Chan Chong Ming. Medium height and a hard smasher ( you know he is when he broke his string smashing during the warmups ) 1st game completely dominated by the Malaysians and Tan Boon Heong hardly do any smashes and when he did, doesn't seem to have the same power like Hoon. But, still it is maybe like a gazillion times stronger than mine *LOL* 2nd game, the Korean began to find their footing and nerves. It was over pretty fast and I think it was during this game that Tan Boon Heong did a spectacular dive to the retrive a drop. But lost the point. The Koreans ran away with the 3rd game changing end 8-0 up. But the Malaysian battle back and Tan Boon Heong seem to wake up and become decidely more aggressive. Malaysia won but the Koreans are definitely a team to watch out for..

XD, I was about to go, sitting on a hard surface for 3 odd hours is not good for the soul...or butt. But, I bumped into Muhamad Rizal..of all places in the washroom! Spoke to him a bit. Yeah, friendly and says it is bloody cold in the courts. Thought the Indonesian could have taken the 1st game, Rizal did the most spectacular dive of the Finals. He dive to his backhand and rolled out of the court onto the Yonex billboard. Even his partner, Greysia Polli, did a mini dive at one stage. Mistakes and the Indonesian just seem to play their shots too tight when it comes to the clutch points. Game point and couldn't close the game. 2nd game was the same, I think China did not win; but the Indonesian lost the match, so many mistakes and unforced errors.

So with so many of the players diving all over the place, I think eventually diving will have to be incorporated into ones technique ( if it hasn't been done already!)
Anyways, met a couple of BF'ers, TTT, wood_22_chuck and WWC. speed78, where were you sitting? Is it in the $500 seats?? I was sitting next to the Chinese team but behind them.

 

[Syaoran_Style]

Finals started off with the LD, all China affair Tian Q/Yu Y vs Feng C/Pan P. Quite boring so it was a good thing it is the 1st match. Yu Y did a high jump smash whilst warming up. (that is the first time I seen a woman jumpsmash). That & I thought Pan P was the better player of them four. Good smash, flat drives but her partner seem very nervous.

Yeees i agree with you =p there was the quite same final at the french open 2004 it was Du jing / Yu yang vs Feng chen / Pan pan .. and i noticed the same thing, pan pan seemed better than the three other (and she's very beautiiful hhaha )
About Yu yang, i was shocked too !! and Du jing jump too !! and higher hahahha it was really funny

 

[clinton]

Read the following about Cheng Shao Chieh in the Taiwanese newspaper:

Cheng's sponser Yonex asked China if she can train with Chinese team
before the World Championship and it seems that China wasn't willing because Cheng went into the quarterfinal in the Olympics and it may not happen now she won the women's single.

Cheng actually lost to Korea's Jun Eun Ha 11:6, 11:1 in this June's
Asian Junior tournament. Cheng and her partner Lee did win the
mixed.

Cheng's dad is a badminton coach and she started holding the badminton
racquet when she was 2.

 

[gossip_lover]

I was look around on the IBF site and found out that the ms final game in the junior WC 2002 was played by chen jin and kendrick lee...but i remember looking around in this site....and it said that the players were chen jin and gong wei jie...so i was just wondering....who were the actual players???

 

[Winex West Can]

I was look around on the IBF site and found out that the ms final game in the junior WC 2002 was played by chen jin and kendrick lee...but i remember looking around in this site....and it said that the players were chen jin and gong wei jie...so i was just wondering....who were the actual players???

That's the 2002 World Junior. The current one (2004) is Chen vs Gong.

 

[Winex West Can]

Terrible incident at the World Jnr.

One of my students at my regular coaching on Monday was at the Sat finals and she and her friend managed to get the shirts from Tan and Hoon (Malaysia MD Gold medalists) BUT unfortunately, as she was heading back, clutching the shirt, some XX&*X%^ (boy) came from behind and snatched the shirt out of her hand and took off running through the exit doors.

So, if you guys notice any one playing wearing Hoon's or trying to hawk either locally or eBay, know that the shirt was stolen off a 15 yr old girl.

 

[gossip_lover]

oh ok then...i see...coz i read somewhere that gong and chen played against each other in the finals in the 2002 WC...i guess i read it wrong....i told lots of pppl too...LOLZ...and i was like..wow chen jin beat gong TWICE...in the finals..anyways...thanks for letting me know!

 

[Winex West Can]

oh ok then...i see...coz i read somewhere that gong and chen played against each other in the finals in the 2002 WC...i guess i read it wrong....i told lots of pppl too...LOLZ...and i was like..wow chen jin beat gong TWICE...in the finals..anyways...thanks for letting me know!

Gong lost to Chen in the Asian Juniors (2004).

 

[gossip_lover]

I see..thanks for letting me know all this stuff!!..anways..other than the world juniors...r there any other tournaments especially for junior players (any websites..and info on the players?--i've been look around forever)....???...thanks

 

[verve_pipe]

One of my students at my regular coaching on Monday was at the Sat finals and she and her friend managed to get the shirts from Tan and Hoon (Malaysia MD Gold medalists) BUT unfortunately, as she was heading back, clutching the shirt, some XX&*X%^ (boy) came from behind and snatched the shirt out of her hand and took off running through the exit doors.

So, if you guys notice any one playing wearing Hoon's or trying to hawk either locally or eBay, know that the shirt was stolen off a 15 yr old girl.

OMG.....those boys are so rude....how could they do that!!!!
ur student is having only one shirt?! which is tan's shirt..izzit?

 

[Loh]

Ice Rink Venue Proved Not Condusive for Badminton

Judging from the feedback from some postings here, in words and in pictures, it would seem not a good idea to hold a tournament as big and as popular as the World Junior Championships in an ice rink.

Indeed an ice rink is not purpose-built for badminton and the glare from the wide glass windows shown in some of the pics certainly hurts and irritates the eye, although attempts to block as much of the glare in the form of big screens are evident. Proper lighting, good ventilation and safe floor conditions are vital to good badminton and the comfort of the spectators and officials must also be considered.

But I think to allow the ice to remain (so as to facilitate the hockey season) and to build the temporary timber flooring on it was unique in a weird sense. Ice can melt and the moisture that emanates from beneath can only become a tricky issue as it turned out. Moisture on the rubber mats can prove slippery and thus dangerous to the players, so were the uneven bumps on the mat surface caused again by the ice below.

And the experience of those players who hailed from the warmer climes of tropical Asia, the cold conditions in the arena could not have come at a worse time. Of course the enemy was the bulk of ice which lay constantly beneath them.

The Malaysians must have done exceedingly well in the MD inspite of such adverse conditions!

 

[cappy75]

Er... that's not rude, that's just plain criminal. Maybe the girl should have gone with a friend... a bigger, fierce looking friend!

OMG.....those boys are so rude....how could they do that!!!!
ur student is having only one shirt?! which is tan's shirt..izzit?

 

[speed78]

wwcbro

I was there almost everyday but couldn't wake up on Finals It starts at 11AM means I have to get up at 9AM and arrive there before 10AM, it's too toilsome for me----don't forget I'm one of the VRC midnight gang. Where did I sit? You should be glad that sitting on a hard surface is better than on a HUGE ICY "BOX". BTW Tai already reminded me to bring cushions so it's ok for me. I was sitting beside Chinese team all the time, had lots of conversation with the players; photos and autographs of course. Actually, after they play exhibition at VRC, WANG Lin gave me a brand new team shirts of hers before she left for shopping at Metrotown, it's the neon green one they wear and with her name on its back. I was so surprised and follow with wild joy......Oh! What a lovely girl she is! Wish her great success!