Clarke seeks to consolidate her badminton status

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 31

Clarke seeks to consolidate her badminton status

By

DAVID LEGGAT

The next six months will play a crucial part in the international badminton future of Canterbury’s newest New Zealand representative, Jane Clarke. The blond Railway club player leaves on Friday for six months in Auckland, and much of her time will revolve around the national training squad. The incentives are obvious: from that squad of eight men and eight women, will come the Whyte Trophy team to meet Australia in the three-test bi-ennial series in September, the Über and Thomas Cup sides to take part in international badminton’s premier event early next year; and, at the top of the order, a place in the team for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in the middle of next year. Miss Clarke, who spent three months on a work transfer in Auckland early this year, leaves Christchurch as the provincial and South Island champion, and having made her New Zealand debut against the Chinese tourists in the Christchurch Town Hall last May. Another work transfer takes her north this time, and ahead of her lie months of hard work to realise her ambition of cementing a national team place. Miss Clarke feels at present she is probably third in singles play among the eight squad members. Toni Whittaker, the Auckland player who has been the country’s top-ranked woman for the last two years, and Katrin Lockey, from North Shore who is ranked fourth in New Zealand, both inflicted defeats on Miss Clarke at the recent Wisden Cup national tournament at North Shore, and in straight games at that. There is a sizeable gulf between Miss Whittaker and Mrs Lockey down to the other squad members. Miss Clarke aims to reduce that g a POf the other squad members, Karen Phillips, the Counties international, has always been a better doubles player, Robyn Stephens, of Waikato, has been nursing injuries this

year, Katherine Hauer was comfortably beaten by Miss Clarke when Canterbury met Auckland II at the Wisden Cup; while Lynne Bignell went down to Canterbury’s No. 2 player, Julie Still, at the tournament. The imponderable is how quickly, and how fully, the gifted Linda Persson the 1984 national champion, recovers fitness after suffering multiple injuries in a road accident last October. The national selectors, Murray Weatherstone, Paul Skelt and Vai Gow, spelled out to the squad members in no uncertain terms that they had been unhappy with what they had seen at the Wisden Cup. More work, they said, is needed, and soon. The squad will be reviewed after the national championships early in September. One player who has already fallen from grace, is the former Canterbury man, Shane Tetai. He is out of the men’s squad. “They are expecting us to be playing a lot better than we are,” said Miss Clarke. “They’ve told us that if we’re not training enough they won’t consider us.” She feels the return to Christchurch has cost her an edge in sharpness around the court. Before moving to Auckland in January, Miss Clarke’s forthright play was hindered at times by sluggish movement. The Auckland experience, with plenty of work on weights, building up strength and speed, did her considerable good. That added pace, remarked her fellow squad members at North Shore, seemed to be slipping. Returning to Christchurch, Miss Clarke reflected, might not have been a wise move, at least in terms of badminton. The squads will assemble for two week-ends before the national championships, and while a solid performance there will be keenly sought by the players, there is a strong prospect of a selectiop tournament for the

Über and Thomas Cup teams just before Christmas. Assertive displays then will be fresher in the minds of the selectors when they name their Cup teams, a maximum of six men and six women, about Christmas The Cup tournaments

have been split for the preliminary rounds between Vancouver and Bangkok, and will be held in January and February. The greatest incentive for the players, however, is a place in the Commonwealth Games team. That will be

named in April. While selection for Edinburgh is Jane Clark’s priority, she realises much can happen before then to infiuence her prospects. “That is the big one. But you’ve got to get in the Über Cup team first.” The next few months will dictate whether or not she will have a Christmas to remember.