Badminton has always been a easy game in-terms of feasibility / gear requirements / court availability. This game doesn't require more than 2 to play and can be played for various reasons. We (me and my beloved wife) started off playing as pass time in our communal backyard. We bought 2 rackets and a pair of shuttle for 10£. Couple of months later we met like minded people from Bangalore, who were playing badminton with a decent number of players.
This triggered a journey which I had not perceived what-so-ever, because of talented badminton players in the group who were playing the game very technically. Me and my wife were very crude not having played badminton at all and were embarrassed at not being able to take/return any shots.
I am very competitive and I do not take my inabilities at anything very well. So, one can guess as to which direction this was going. I bought a bit more serious racquet for 20£ and was still very physical with the game. My only approach to win a point was to ram the shuttle with all the force I can generate. I was rubbish at court movements, had no concept of net-play, racquet used to be stuck in my palms in the best way I can hold onto it and no perception of playing the game as a game. It was a total disaster to say the least.
However with my learn-as-you-see skill, I slowly began to copy the techniques of my fellow badminton players in the group, watched loads of tournaments players on YouTube (still watch to-date) and played with different players at different venues. What started off as a social event on weekend, spread out to 3 days of play in 3 different venues with 3 different groups. Between August - December 2009, me w/o paying attention to my progress, I had moulded myself to be a decent player with all the possible types of plays on the court to beat a decent opposition.
I started to realise the fact when my fellow badminton players started to notice the change in my games.
11-May-2010 - NLCC
This was my first tournament appearance in SOCIAL/SINGLES category. There were local leisure centres which did regional filtering. Luckily the local leisure centre (Bulmershe LC) was participating in the tournament and I obviously cached in the opportunity. Qualified to Semi-Finals which was held in High Wycombe. Semi-Finals were the best of three and was played with feather shuttles. With most of my practices using Synthetic shuttles and my fitness at all time low, could not qualify to the Finals. However I felt it was a much better performance for my first venture.
10-Aug-2010 - Birmingham Bonanza
As the name suggests, the tournament was in Birmingham. As usual, prepped up and excited, drove all the way from Reading. I just could make it to the quarter finals in SOCIAL/SINGLES category. No excuse for a careless game in quarter finals but it was a knockout session and I ended up on the wrong side. However, me and my wify made it to the finals of SOCIAL/XDoubles. This being our first time together in the tournament was to get to the Finals. We were contempt with our accomplishment. However we were looking forward to win the finals as well but a chinese student pair (of league level who were not allowed to participate League because of hundred of reasons) were too strong. We were massacred in 2 straight sets. However we were ecstatic that we could make it to the Finals at our first attempt. Runners-Up at first go is not bad at all, is it.
19-Sep-2010 - Crossfire Bonanza, West Sussex
This was down south(70 miles) from where we live. This was just a doubles tournament and we had a chance to get the top podium and away we went on a drowsy Sunday morning. I am not much of a talker but I made an extra effort to keep my wife awake and excited on the long drive and inspire her to play her best. We finally reached the Leisure Centre and had to wait for an hour and half before we got to play our first game.
We were kind of nervous and it was made evident by the tournament organiser coming to us and asking Why are you both looking so nervous??. We blatantly replied back saying we aren't but we are just eager to get on with playing. This happens when you sit for a long time, not warmed up enough and have butterflies in your stomach. Finally, the SOCIALS/XDoubles was underway and we had our first game with one of the lousiest looking couple.
Qualifying Game 1
No offense but the opponents were not looking at their physical best. However they gave a stiff competition and we were struggling to reach first 10 points. However once we both found the rhythm, it was just a matter a finishing the game.
Score: 21-11
Qualifying Game 2
Toughest match amongst the qualifying games. When a game proceeds where there is only a 2 point difference, it always is tense and no one will want to play a tricky shot. There was a stage where we were 18-20 down but some lovely returns by my beloved wife, we levelled and won the tensioner by 23-21. I was feeling as though I have the heaviest racquet and elephants feet at the end of the game.
Score: 23-21
Qualifying Game 3
Well, it was not the same lines as the second game but we kept making some simple mistakes. There was stage in the game where 4 serves went into nets by all the four players. However we pulled ourselves up and won the game to make it to semi-finals.
Score: 21-18
Semi-Finals
This was the easiest match that we played all day. This was a best of three. The scores will explain as to how easy was the game. My racquet finally became lighter and my foot work was much better. I was back to my confident shot-play. Wify was playing glorious blocks and wonderful serves. I felt happy with the outcome of the game we walked away very satisfied and happy to have made it to Finals with such a dominating game.
Score: 21-10 / 21-08
Finals
The team that we played in Qualifying Game 2 were our obstacles between us and the glory. We were sitting and watching their semi-finals match ending. They appeared very happy to have qualified to Finals however were clueless that we had made it as well. The opponent lady's facial expression was worth a capture when she realized that it was us that they need to face-off. I was tensed a bit as well as my beloved wife was sitting beside me suddenly dropped a bummer by saying I am feeling sleepy. Anyways, the game was underway and it was the same bloody situation.
We were separated by just 2 points at any given time and the nerve took our better selves. Lost the first of three matches 19-21. Wify tried to give me a pep talk and during the break and I kept saying to myself that "We can't go down having made it this far. Lets give it a fight and play sensibly".
Start of the second set and the story continued. We were separated by just 2 points. But this time, the better of us stayed calm and composed and won the game 21-19. The only twist being that the opponent lady picked up a cramp in one of her legs. So we decided to take a extended break before the cliff-hanger.
Decider match came along and the opponent's spirit looked very down. Game started off very well with usual 2 point difference, until wify puzzled them with varied low serve and my smash returns reaching the corners of the court, where I intended the shuttle to land. We built a big lead for the first time in a match that day and the opponent seemed to start studder more. We were leading 17-7 and politely asked if she was fine to continue. With a disgust yet pleasing expression she decided to forge on and complete the match.
Yuhoooo.....21-10 was it then, to get to the top place that we yearned so much in the last tournament. We were a bit sad that it would have been nice if the opponent was physically good but nevertheless, everything is fair in Love and War (Every game is a showcase of who stands tall at the end) and We won the War.
Score: 19-21 / 21-19 / 21-10
Start of the second set and the story continued. We were separated by just 2 points. But this time, the better of us stayed calm and composed and won the game 21-19. The only twist being that the opponent lady picked up a cramp in one of her legs. So we decided to take a extended break before the cliff-hanger.
Decider match came along and the opponent's spirit looked very down. Game started off very well with usual 2 point difference, until wify puzzled them with varied low serve and my smash returns reaching the corners of the court, where I intended the shuttle to land. We built a big lead for the first time in a match that day and the opponent seemed to start studder more. We were leading 17-7 and politely asked if she was fine to continue. With a disgust yet pleasing expression she decided to forge on and complete the match.
Yuhoooo.....21-10 was it then, to get to the top place that we yearned so much in the last tournament. We were a bit sad that it would have been nice if the opponent was physically good but nevertheless, everything is fair in Love and War (Every game is a showcase of who stands tall at the end) and We won the War.
Score: 19-21 / 21-19 / 21-10
For now, this looks be the last of tournaments on Badminton England's calendar. If there are any, then this post will be updated.
