Badminton Artistry By Malayans And Indians

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30230, 7 September 1963, Page 9

Badminton Artistry By Malayans And Indians

X T the New Zealand badminton championships at Hamilton last week, spectators and players, were treated to a spectacle, which it is unlikely will be staged in this country again,* in the foreseeable future. The Malayan, Indian and South African Thomas Cup teams competed, as well as three South African women and leading New Zealand players. The tournament was rated third in the world to the All England and Asian championships. A total of nineteen overseas players—seven Indians, six Malayans and six South Africans took part.

The large number of spectators who attended each night showed their delight which sometimes

changed to bewilderment as players performed feats which had to be seen to be bekeved.

New Zealand's top players matched against each other are considered very good, but amongst the class play of the Malayans and the Indians they looked only average players. During the

early rounds of the tournament. spectators, after watching the Indians and Malayans progressing towards the final, were debating who would be the Likely finalists. At this stage the top Indians and Malayans were winning as they pleased. Their games appeared almost faultless. They possessed delicate touch, quick anticipation and beautiful footwork Even when they played a comparatively weak shot which would normally finish a rally the return generally was picked up from an impossible position and played for a winner. However, when the top Indians met the top Malayans they also were beaten by unbelievably easy scores.

From the outset the New Zealand men were toppled quickly. After two rounds with sixteen players remaining, only four, R. Purser the title-holder. D. Higgins, the 1961 champion, K. Long, a finalist last year, and J. Robson, nine times champion, were left. Of the other twelve, five were Malayans, five Indians and two South Africans. The absence of New Zealand’s leading players cannot be attributed to their bad play but to the ■world-class play-

ers in the draw. Purser failed to reach the quarter-finals when he was beaten 15-6, 15-11 by Ng 800 Bee, the fifth Malayan. Purser had reason to be a little disappointed with himself in this match, for although he may not have beaten Ng, he made many errors which he would not usually have made. Ng, a short, stocky man with a physique resembling that of a boxer than a badminton player, bounced around the court with amazing speed and retrieved shots which for most other players of his size would be well out of reach. He slid into his shots at net almost doing Jthe splits each time. He continually amazed onlookers as he leaped around the court smashing, dropping and practically turning somersaults.

Higgins lost to the portly, 34 year-old Indian, T. Seth, but not before he had put up a grand fight. Seth has a delightful manner and is quick to smile at his own mistakes and to appreciate his opponents' good play. He was one of the greatest favourites with the crowds. Each of the visitors possessed some characteristic which distinguished them, and along wnth their pleasant personalities made each and everyone popular. Long lost 15-11, 15-3 to the fourth Malayan, Tan Yee Khan. Tan, tall and powerfully built had the fastest smash at the tournament—the shuttle shoots off his racket like a rocket and pummells into the floor before his opponent, or the spectators had time to realise what had happened. Robson, -who narrowly beat the South Afriean champion D. Powell, was the only New Zealander to reach the quater-finals. The others to reach the quarterfinals were the left-handed South African captain, A. Parsons, the top Malayan Teh Kew San and the top Indjan, N. Natekar. The eighth player was the eventual winner and Malayan number two, Yew Cheng Hoe.

Although the quarter finals produced better badminton they were not as exciting as the previous rounds. Whereas on the previous night the games had been close and exciting, three of the players who entered the semi-finals, Teh Kew San. Natekar and Yew Cheng Hoe, played such faultless badminton that the rallies, although long, were usually won after each had manoeuvred his opponent about the court until he was in an impossible position to reach the shuttle—or with such fine and deceptive drops, that the point was won with apparent effortlessness. The two top Malayans. Teh and Yew, beat the Indians, Seth and Natekar, in the semi-finals. These two encounters left spectators a tittle disappointed, not because the badminton was

not good—it was, but the games were not evenly contested.

These games followed much the same pattern as three of the quarter-finals. Seth lost to Teh, 15-1, 15-3 and Natekar, with has calmness and never changing expression, tost by what seemed an impossible score, 15-5, 15-3 to Yew. Thus the Malayans left no doubt that they will this year be strong contenders of the Thomas Cup.

The final provided a match of the highest calibre and was just as good as anticipated. The outcome of the match was not important. The 19-year-old Yew, tall, lithe and extremely fit raced through the first game His smash, although not quite as fast as Tan Yee Khan's was more consistent and accurate and won him many points. His net play was quite fantistic; he cut his drops so fine that they hit the netcord and rolled over, making them almost impossible, even for a player such as Teh, to return.

The second game was a reversal of the first Teh dominated this and won 15-7, The rallies were longer and Yew, like Teh, seldom smashed, but chased everything. All the Malayans and Indians move back to the centre of the court immediately they have stroked the shuttle. This

probably attributed to their beautiful footwork, and the fact that they always seemed td be in position in plenty at time to play the shuttle.

The final game which Yew won 15-3 was almost a repititton of the first Yew smashed within inches of the line and played his delicate drops which time after time hit the net cord and rolled over. No-one, anckiding the players seemed to mind who won —whether Yew with his characteristic little bow before each serve or Teh. who regularly rubbed his hand in a quick movement around his face. The spectators stowed their appreciation for a magnificent game when they applauded the players from the time the last rally finished until Teh and Yew were out of sight behind the stands. The Canterbury badminton Association’s reluctance to have one of the overseas teams play ait Christchurch was even more hard to understand after watching these players in action. Their artistry and court personality would have the matches a joy for spectators. Apparently finance was the reason why the Canterbury Association did not want an overseas team to playing in Christchurch. This may have been valid reason, but if badminton in Canterbury is to prosper there could be no better stimulus for players and spectators than seeing the Malayans, probably the best exponents of the sport, playing at Cowles Stadium.