Our Manager Kay Terry MBE is not well

Dear friends

Our manager Kay Terry had a health scare a few days ago. She had to be rushed to the hospital after some  concern about her heart. The doctors say she is okay now but we wish her all the best. I asked the players to send her get well notes.

Those who did not send her a note will have to run 5 laps round the courts tomorrow.

I finally got the results from the last competition.

They are:

WD
1	Chua joline Jet Ling Christine Kudiarasu
2	Crystal Diep Angie Yang
3	Olivia Fianita Bella Yutong Liu
MSA
1	Andrew Belcher
2	Edward Fan
3	Kai-Chen Teoh
MDA
1	Gavin Chung Edward Fan
2	Keisuke Takeda Joddy Ting
3	Alfred Tan Wie Cai Tan
WSA
1	Olivia Fianita
2	Bella Yutong Liu
3	Gerimay Nicolas
XDA
1	Gavin Chung Bella Yutong Liu
2	Jonathon Tukimin Crystal Diep
3	Edward Fan Olivia Fianita
MDB
1	Jasper Tan Kai-Chen Teoh
2	Alfred Tan Wie Cai Tan
WDB
1	Gerimay Nicolas Julia Nicolas
2	Mary Pui Rijiporn Thavomkanlapachai
3	Alicia Gooi Tiffany Wan
	Congrats to the players from the Under 17s team.

Coming back to the present

Dear friends

Hope you enjoyed the photos from the last competition taken by Simon Mak.

Back to the present.

Parents in the 2nd shift, Lifa just happened to be there again.

I am told the bike was won by Tiffany Wan. Kay managed to raise $1000 from the sale of the bike raffles.

However, the food sales did not go that well.

I also did not manage to get an update re the comp results. Tournament software for the comp has not been updated.

However, Sok Teoh has updated his Facebook with the winners photos and I am uploading them from his facebook account.

I am not sure what the prizes are for. Will update when I know. It looks like the team did well.

Night.

Photos from Simon Mak taken during the 2013 June Bevan Competition

Dear friends

Just received a disc of photos taken by Simon Mak, who is Joy Lai's dad.

He takes great photos and travels with a heavy swag of camera equipment whenever he attends a comp.

Here are the  photos.

Smarter than Smoking BAWA's first tournament for the year

Dear friends

I was up till 2 am last night preparing the spaghetti bolognaise that I was cooking for my part in the kitchen fund raising in the Smarter Than Smoking Tournament.

The other parents who were in the first shift on Saturday all did their work while laughing and enjoying themselves. New friends were made. Bella's mum did a traditional chinese pork dish. This is the first time the other parents have met Bella's mum. We all made her feel welcomed to the team. It is after all, a team, the players, the parents, manager, coach and now officially the chaperone.

Yes, I have been officially invited to be the chaperone for the team. BAWA has a new policy. If the officials meaning the coach, manager and umpire are all of one sex, then a parent who is attending and who is of the opposite sex will officially be invited as the chaperone.

Well, as you are know, our coach, manager and umpire for the 2014 team are all female. Hence I have been officially asked to be the chaperone. They drafted a new policy just for the position. Being a lawyer, I went through all the terms which I thought was good and acceptable until I reach the part about cooking and laundry.

Doing the cooking on a voluntary basis and helping with the laundry is one thing, but signing on a piece of paper to say you will cook and do laundry is something else. Aiyah, the things we do for our children. I guess I have to sign the agreement sooner or later :)

There is a Hokkien saying " Pou ka liau". Which means, the "do all person". I guess that is what I am signing up for on top of the fund raising.

Yes, I understand the fund raising has been going well. Li Fah, Mary Lou,  Teck Hin and Kian and Olivia's mum all did their bit today.

The other parents will be doing their shift tomorrow.

Kay was busy collecting money and pushing the bicycle raffle which was donated by HiWay Cycle from Vic Park. I think we have raised $1000 from the bike raffle. Good work Kay and the kids.

Every one is doing their part to make the New Zealand trip as painless as possible financially.

The first shift parents. Notice the guy with the coolie towel. A coolie in Singapore terms is a labourer. They usually run around their work place with a towel to wipe off their sweat from their hard work.

The Tan and the Tans

The players have been playing hard in their respective categories.  Some of the players are playing their first matches together. I am not sure of the results yet. Just checked the Tournament Software website but the results are still not updated.

Jasper and Julia vs Geri May and Kai Chen

Bella and Olivier

Edward and Gavin

Did not manage to get a shot of  Sophie who was playing with Matt Teo.

I am still waiting for information as to who won the bike.

Tyzton and Xiang will be back from Melbourne tomorrow.

Finally, my bachelor days for the week is over. Looking forward to the return of my wife and son.

Good night.

Training starts for the new team and the new year

Dear friends

It was a good first training for the full team.

Bella met her fellow team mates for the first time. Kay devised a new strategy for the team to get to know each other better. She made the players sit in 5 different courts as couples so that the players could talk to each other and learn more about their fellow player.

Xiang did not look very comfortable chatting with Bella. Xiang has always been a shy boy. Good idea Kay.

Jasper and Gerimay. They played together in last years Under 15s

Ed and Julia. They were in the Under 17s team last year

Xiang and Bella, watch the body language, come on Xiang!

Tyz and Olivia, they played their first national comp together when they were 12 yrs old.

Gavin and Sophie. This is the first time they are in the same team.


After the introduction, it was down to the proper training.

The day was tough for the players with Yuli making them run 20 laps around the courts. Fitness is the issue that has been identified.

Even the warming down was tough.

Yuli warming up her next group of future stars

I spoke to some of the players. Jasper has been training in Sabah. Gavin has been doing light training in Malaysia too.

Xiang was training in China too. Julia, Geri May and Sophie have been training with Yuli during the holidays.

Kay's instructions to the players are to do physical training whenever possible. That is a good idea as they have to push their bodies during the 6 days of competition.

Good night for now.

The New Year for the Under 17s team

Dear friends and readers


Happy new year to everyone for 2014. Also a great Happy Chinese New year.

Time is flying so quickly and we are already in the 2nd month of 2014.

What has been happening?

Well Tyzton and Jazton were in Beijing training at the Shishahai Sports Academy. They returned in Jan. They trained with the Beijing Province team.

I do not know what the other players have been doing and I am sure they will update me when I see them this Saturday.

Yes, we are back at training this Sat. The difference is that we now have a new addition to the team.

WA would like to welcome Bella Liu who recently migrated to WA from China.  Bella is 14 years old. She was in the province team in China. I have yet to get more info. She is new to the country and her English has to improve for communication. However, speaking to her in Mandarin and watching her demeanor in court, I am sure she will be a real asset to WA and badminton.

For me, the challenge is  to continue fund raising.

Will report again when the team reunites this weekend.

Night.