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My First Badminton Tournament
January 7, 2006
After the eating and drinking binges during the holidays, after gaining some five to ten pounds in one month, and after feeling my abdominal girth measurement to have increased, I have decided to be more health-conscious these days. But I am not going on a South Beach or Atkins diet. Instead, I will resume a regular exercise. I used to go to the gym but when December came with all those Christmas parties everywhere, I preferred to eat, drink and be merry. Now, it is back to work here in Manila. I know in Iloilo, the celebration continues because in a few days, it will be University Week. Then comes the "Dinagyang Festival" to be followed by the "fiestas" in Villa and Jaro. I have had too much revelry already that it is time to burn some fats now. With all the hot babes going back to their workout routine at the same gym as mine, I think I will be doing my bench presses again soon.
Aside from my regular one-kilometer morning walk from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport when I am from duty, I try to engage in other sports activities. Recently and regularly, I have started playing again the game of badminton, my other favorite sport, next to basketball of course.
A few years ago, badminton courts sprouted all over Manila, floors of warehouses were matted with Taraflex, and after office hours, people went to their respective clubs with their Yonex carbon graphite rackets. In 2005, the Philippines hosted the Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) Cup in July and the 23rd Southeast Asian Games on November 27 to December 5. Filipinos were then able to witness the world's best badminton players like Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia and Lin Dan of China who beat the European team 11-7 during the MVP Cup held at the Philsports Arena. After these two major events, Filipinos are now even more enthusiastic to engage in the sport. So am I that I decided to join a tournament.
I started playing badminton in high school. When I entered college, I took badminton as one of my Physical Education classes. And I remembered during our final exam, we were required to make 50 clears, 50 drops, 50 drives and 50 smashes.
A clear is a shot hit deep to the opponent's back boundary line. A drop is a shot hit softly to fall rapidly and close to the net on the opponent's side. A drive is a fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net. A smash is a hard-hit overhead shot that forces the shuttle sharply downward.
However, I did not join any major badminton competition then. I just played in school and for WVSU-COM during University Week games. With such teammates as R. Hismana (who also happened to be my opponent in high school) and R.J. Garcia, we were able to outplay the other colleges during the University Week. I played my last badminton game for the College of Medicine when I was a clerk beating a player from another college 15-2, 15-3 although we did not make it to the championships.
That was my last game until I joined this tournament recently. The Airport Police Department sponsored one exclusive for the employees of the Manila International Airport Authority. I selected a female partner and decided to play mixed doubles since I have not played for quite some time. We had high chances of winning because my partner was among the best female players at the airport. However, only few registered for the tournament so the sponsor opted to open the event to everyone. Our chances of winning lessened because we will be playing against players who play regularly. Anyway, we just decided to play the games and have fun.
I learned three lessons after the tournament. First: According to Sun Tzu in The Art of War, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." Since in badminton tournaments you will not have the chance to know your opponent because it is assigned at random, you should at least know yourself. In my case, I should know my strengths and weaknesses and those of my partner. For instance, covering for the backhand weakness of your partner in a doubles game and having your partner do the same for you is a very effective strategy in badminton. Second: Always prepare for any game not only physically but also psychologically and spiritually. A badminton tournament is a test of endurance. It could last for only two days but you could be facing at least four opponents in a day. Third: Never quit a game. They say, "It ain't over 'til it's over." During our last game of the tournament, we were trailing by some points, we were already tired and my deltoids were aching. But I managed to score a few more points to get closer. I did not have the energy anymore for a jump smash so I used my deceiving service to score. I was hoping for a come-from-behind victory; after all, it is sweeter. But even though we did not win, we did have a good game.
With the lessons learned from my first badminton tournament experience, I will continue to play this sport and will join another tournament whenever there is the chance. I will work on my weaknesses, improve my strengths and hope to bring home a trophy the next time around.
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Views expressed on this column and any other by-lined articles on this site are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization or its members.
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