Seize the daY!

badminton addict.... in retrospect ;0)

i started playing badminton during my sophomore year in college as my P.E. subject. I remember challenging my instructor to a singles game. he said that if i beat him, i'll get a flat 1 in my grade. unfortunately, after being made a wiper in court ( as i was made to run from left to right, like a car wiper indeed!, i lost ( can't remember the score though, and i am pretty sure it was not worth remembering anyhow) so in the end i got a grade of 1.25.

i also had an early share of playing competitive badminton. in my junior year in college, my father volunteered me to play for their office. I thought it was just a "fun" competition, but after finishing the elimination and qualifying for the finals, i found out that we are challenging a team from Indonesia for the finals! Heller, Indonesians eat shuttle cocks for breakfast! (no pun intended) I mean, c'mon badminton is the national sports of Indonesia and what, i played it just to pass a PE subject? after being played around, (oo, as pinaglaruan nila kami, para kaming dalawang wiper ng kotse!) expectedly, we lost the game and i remember that the day after, i was bed ridden!!!

i guess the last badminton experience was traumatic for me (hehehe!) as it was only after six years that i got hold of a badminton racket and a shuttlecock again. A friend from the Philippine Airforce invited me to play in Villamor. At this time, badminton was slowly establishing itself to be a prime sports/hobby in the Philippines. I remember villamor was packed with people waiting to play.

This games extended, not in villamor though but in Malacanang Park, the home of the PSGs. Allan, invited me to play. There were many officers, men and women who were so good at it. I can't help but watch in awe and tell myself "how they do that?!?!?!" The smashes, the drop shots were simply amazing. I guess this inspired me to take a serious interest in badminton.

and then i got hooked with it. i played 3 times a week and thank God for those people who have patiently played and taught me the basics of the game. Up until now, some of the things i've learned, i still can't apply, like the backhand, hmp! Later on, i found out that my boss was also playing badminton. So my work as his Executive Assistant included playing with him at the park, hehehe! this is one part of my job i really enjoyed! ;0)

and then che-che, (my buddy for life!) told me that her college friends (the likes of erwin, holden, eugene, noreen, louie, carl and reggie) were regularly playing badminton every sunday. so one sunday, we joined them. They played in QC and makati alternately and i played with them even when che-che was not around. This time, i was playing 4-5 times a week! Yes, ganun ako ka-addict! ayoko tumigil! hehehe!

then i got hold of my fraternity brothers and sisters who played badminton every saturday naman in pasig. if i have time, nakikilaro din ako sa kanila, but the sunday group was the more regular thing for me.

when i worked in ADB, yung badminton club lang yung gusto kong salihan besides the dance guild. and so i became i member. later on, i tried the competitive side of badminton, i started joining dual meets in the club, tournament outside office and mini-tournaments with friends.

This addiction is not limited to playing it. I love watching badminton games too! i watched the badminton games during the last SEA games. unfortunately, team Philippines didn't do well. I also thank God for Solar Sports for tv coverage of international badminton tournaments! kahit ilang replay na ng mga badminton games, i still watch them! ( di ba addict tlga ako!) the last one i got to watch was the World IBF Championship in Madrid. I watched the games til 5am in the morning! literally, naduling ako kakapanood. i was seeing two Taufik Hidayat! I had to cover one eye to watch properly!

i can go on and on to tell stories about my baddiction (badminton addiction) pero baka maging isang libro na tong blog ko. ;0)




taufik hidayat, former world No. 1 and Olympic gold medalist holds the fastest backhand smash. i took this picture during the last SEA games in the Philippines... simply DELICIOUS!




world's no. 1 men's doubles pair fu and cai from china (fu, the one on the right holds the fastest smash with 337 kph, i think);0)

sucked out life @ 1:37 PM