P. Whiting's badminton rapidly improving

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32613, 22 May 1971, Page 14

P. Whiting's badminton rapidly improving

A young player who is threatening to disrupt the ranks of Canterbury’s leading badminton exponents because of his tenacious approach and attacking flair is North Beach’s P. Whiting. Only 16 years of age and a pupil of Shirley Boys’ High School Whiting is the present South Island junior singles and doubles titleholder. This season his aim will be to capture the New Zealand junior singles title and as the championships will be played at the Skellerup Hall the venue for all Christchurch interclub badminton—he will have an advantage over his opponents. Whiting has provided his more experienced A grade inter-club opponents with some stem opposition in the three rounds played so far this season. It was a case of the pupil overshadowing the master when Whiting beat J. Findlay (Railway), his Canterbury junior representative coach, in the opening round. He has since lost to W. Edgecumbe (Knox) and G. Ellis (Canterbury), although the latter player was forced to muster all his skill before

vanquishing the youngster after three games. Both of these opponents are division I representatives too. If the lessons taught by such defeats are absorbed by the North Beach player, he will almost certainly be able to win a place in the representative division I team next season. And to gain this distinction in one’s first year as a senior player is a relatively rare feat. However, his seemingly, rapid advance this season has not been achieved without much determined training during summer. “I used to play tennis during the summer months but last summer played badminton right through the off-season,” Whiting said. This training included attending the special national colts’ coaching school with his North Beach team-mate and Canterbury’s most promising woman player, Miss A Ross. The school was conducted by New Zealand’s first full-time coach, Mr Eddie Ng Boon Ooh, for a week in Hastings in late January and attracted 20 of the Dominion's most promising junior players. “We played from 8.30 a.m. through until 9.30 pm., with breaks only for

meals,” Whiting recalled. "We played games mostly, and at the end of each period, we would have practical tests on how to play shots, where our faults were pointed out to us.” The techniques and skills learnt at Hastings, together with his great agility and speed about the court have transformed Whiting into one of the most formidable players among the eight teams in the inter-club competition. At present, the

more wily of his opponents are able to take advantage of Whiting’s tendencies to rely too greatly upon certain aspects of his game,

especially the smash, and to become too easily flustered when the pressure is applied. When he has learnt to curb this exuberance and can retain his steadiness in tight situations Whiting will be an even greater danger to the very best players, both within the province and elsewhere.