First, let me just say the SUPER SERIES FINAL 2008 was a roaring success, not only because it was held in my home state of Sabah, the badminton was superb; a true showcase of terrific skills of power, speed and finesse.
The crowd of 5000 was fantastic because they supported and cheered for both sides. That helped bring out the best from the players.
This time because I finally wised up to the perks of staying in the official hotel, I had opportunities to meet and find out more about the players world.
Thomas Laybourn
Over breakfast, I asked him why Danes take so long to 'mature' and what his training schedule's like. He said except for Peter Gade and Tine Rasmussen who are both paid rather well by their clubs, other Danes have to have a day job.
Lay has his own business so he has flexibility with his badminton. Because of that, the Danes don't train fulltime like Asian players. He trains 4 hours a day; 2 before 'day job' and 2 after. Unlike Asians who probably put in 8 hours per day all in. Because skills take a threshold period to master, that's why Danes seem to take double the time.
Thus what takes at least 3 years for Asian players to show, it will take Danes 6 years, since they train at half the intensity. Thus Danes will 'mature' as champion material after the age of 25. But it also means they can last longer since they punish their body less over time. That’s why PG's equivalent age to an Asian player is probably 27 although he's 32.
Candra Wijaya
In the shuttle bus, he surprised me by thanking me for supporting him and Tony during their matches. I was so relentlessly vocal in cheering them after they lost their G1 to Hendra Setiawan & Makis Kido in a flash. Maybe that's why he could match the cheering voice to the speaking voice but wow, he's got good hearing sense. He said it helps fire them up when they have support from the crowd even if it's a lone voice.
Candra's a very busy man. He has his own business and also he's involved in the Japan league. He said there are hundreds of badminton clubs in Japan and for the league, there's no prize money for the champion but prestige and pride. I asked him about his fitness regime and that's when he sounded sheepish. Well, Candra works out once or twice in the gym for an hour or so,when he has the time. This means he probably doesn’t.
Datuk Lee Chong Wei
Queuing for the fried noodle, I mentioned that he should dump his habit of getting sidetracked by poor line calls. Line judges get so mesmerized by his badminton, they sometimes forget they have a job to do on the court that's why his matches usually have some line call problems, I suggested. He laughed at the rationale which is good because it'll help him remember. He has enough insurance for 2 or 3 poor calls if he stays focused but none if he wastes time and energy on this distraction.
I spoke to coach Teh on this for double effect. Chong Wei only needs to correct 1 or 2 of his non-badminton aspects and he will be unbeatable. All these problems are within his control so it's easy to solve. There is another aspect which I will not mention here which LCW rectified and I was amazed how that little change can make such a big difference in his matches against Taufik and Peter Gade.(Please note I'm not trying to claim credit here)
Saina Nehwal
Saina's so articulate she should be the spokesperson for badminton players. I mentioned that she came across faster and more powerful compared to when I first saw her play. How did she do it?
'Well, first I lost weight by working out in the gym. I do a lot of running because Women Single is a lot of running. ‘Losing weight means energy is fully used for badminton and none wasted lugging excess luggage around. Something for Chin Eei Hui to think about?
No wonder I thought she has also grown taller. Not only that, with each tournament, she surprises with distinct progress. She said her coach would work with her on her weakness revealed in each tournament so that it's fixed before the next one.
Saina's gonna be the most dangerous Women Single because her opponents won't know what else she has packed until they meet her in court.
The crowd of 5000 was fantastic because they supported and cheered for both sides. That helped bring out the best from the players.
This time because I finally wised up to the perks of staying in the official hotel, I had opportunities to meet and find out more about the players world.
Thomas Laybourn
Over breakfast, I asked him why Danes take so long to 'mature' and what his training schedule's like. He said except for Peter Gade and Tine Rasmussen who are both paid rather well by their clubs, other Danes have to have a day job.
Lay has his own business so he has flexibility with his badminton. Because of that, the Danes don't train fulltime like Asian players. He trains 4 hours a day; 2 before 'day job' and 2 after. Unlike Asians who probably put in 8 hours per day all in. Because skills take a threshold period to master, that's why Danes seem to take double the time.
Thus what takes at least 3 years for Asian players to show, it will take Danes 6 years, since they train at half the intensity. Thus Danes will 'mature' as champion material after the age of 25. But it also means they can last longer since they punish their body less over time. That’s why PG's equivalent age to an Asian player is probably 27 although he's 32.
Candra Wijaya
In the shuttle bus, he surprised me by thanking me for supporting him and Tony during their matches. I was so relentlessly vocal in cheering them after they lost their G1 to Hendra Setiawan & Makis Kido in a flash. Maybe that's why he could match the cheering voice to the speaking voice but wow, he's got good hearing sense. He said it helps fire them up when they have support from the crowd even if it's a lone voice.
Candra's a very busy man. He has his own business and also he's involved in the Japan league. He said there are hundreds of badminton clubs in Japan and for the league, there's no prize money for the champion but prestige and pride. I asked him about his fitness regime and that's when he sounded sheepish. Well, Candra works out once or twice in the gym for an hour or so,when he has the time. This means he probably doesn’t.
Datuk Lee Chong Wei
Queuing for the fried noodle, I mentioned that he should dump his habit of getting sidetracked by poor line calls. Line judges get so mesmerized by his badminton, they sometimes forget they have a job to do on the court that's why his matches usually have some line call problems, I suggested. He laughed at the rationale which is good because it'll help him remember. He has enough insurance for 2 or 3 poor calls if he stays focused but none if he wastes time and energy on this distraction.
I spoke to coach Teh on this for double effect. Chong Wei only needs to correct 1 or 2 of his non-badminton aspects and he will be unbeatable. All these problems are within his control so it's easy to solve. There is another aspect which I will not mention here which LCW rectified and I was amazed how that little change can make such a big difference in his matches against Taufik and Peter Gade.(Please note I'm not trying to claim credit here)
Saina Nehwal
Saina's so articulate she should be the spokesperson for badminton players. I mentioned that she came across faster and more powerful compared to when I first saw her play. How did she do it?
'Well, first I lost weight by working out in the gym. I do a lot of running because Women Single is a lot of running. ‘Losing weight means energy is fully used for badminton and none wasted lugging excess luggage around. Something for Chin Eei Hui to think about?
No wonder I thought she has also grown taller. Not only that, with each tournament, she surprises with distinct progress. She said her coach would work with her on her weakness revealed in each tournament so that it's fixed before the next one.
Saina's gonna be the most dangerous Women Single because her opponents won't know what else she has packed until they meet her in court.
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