A

ANNUAL

REPORT

2018/2019

ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019

Eastlink Stadium 30 Old Farm Rd, Hamilton East P: 07 856 3049 W: http://waikatobadminton.co.nz

WaikatoBadminton

waikatobadminton

OFFICERS PATRON Doreen Wood PRESIDENT Stu Morgan VICE PRESIDENT Carol Leydon-Davis BOARD MEMBERS Dominic Buckell, Paul Hanton, Luke Lee, Rupinder Virk, Kenneth Yew, Susannah Leydon-Davis (independent), Alison Storey (independent). LIFE MEMBERS Carol Leydon-Davis, Phil Paterson, Maureen Sherborne, Jocelyn Silvester, Doreen Wood, Maurice Smith, Malcolm Brown, Bill Bartels, Alicia Urlich (Pat Dallinger MBE †, Peter Icke †, Joyce Musk †) STAFF

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Marianne Loh FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Loloma Foster DIRECTOR OF COACHING Tracey Hallam SCHOOLS & EVENTS MANAGER Vincent Harris ACCOUNTANT Hemi Edwards Bartels (now Initiom)

AFFILIATED CLUBS 21st Badminton Club Waikato Punjabi Badminton Club Badminton Rocks Putaruru Badminton Club Cambridge Badminton Club Saturday Badminton Club Code D Badminton Club Sri Lanka Friendship Society Waikato Filipino Association Tamil Society Waikato Formosa Badminton Club Te Awamutu Badminton Club Hamilton Badminton Club Te Rapa Badminton Club Hamilton Chinese Learning School Tokoroa Badminton Club Happy Family Club Kiwi Malayalee Badminton Club Horsham Downs Badminton Club Waikato Maldives Badminton Club Kings Garden Badminton Club Zero Gravity Badminton Club Korean Badminton Club WCBA Badminton Club Masters Badminton Club For more information about clubs: http://www.waikatobadminton.co.nz/clubs

PRESIDENT REPORT

‘More Players, More Often’. It is my pleasure to present you with my report for Waikato Badminton Association (WBA) for 2019. WBA has been under a Board management structure for a few years now and from my perspective the structure is working very well. We have a good range of people who bring their own work/life skill sets and experiences. The board members are a changing group which is important for all progressive organisations and part of how we evolve and improve. We are also proud to have the likes of Susannah Leydon-Davis appointed to the WBA Board, whilst also appointed as an Athlete Representative to the Badminton Board, and appointed on the Athlete Commission. She brings strong collaboration and communication skills, a high level of integrity, positivity and advocates for all people involved in badminton. Marianne Loh has been CEO for just under a year and has made a real impact on how the Eastlink Badminton facility operates and the level of interaction we have with members and stakeholders across the Waikato region. Marianne has a straightforward approach and has introduced some new initiatives to enhance player and stakeholder engagement, a few examples are below: • Instigating surveys to understand how we can continually improve events and player participation; • Introducing regular newsletters and social media updates on programs, events, and playing groups; • Developing transparent player, coach, and technical official pathways to help new (and any re-entering) participants understand how they can get involved; • Holding a Para-Badminton Open Day and providing a systematic pathway for integration into a WBA program/club. Part of progressive change is expanding the number and the diversity of people we have playing our sport which includes our juniors. We see some very keen and strong younger players coming up through the age groups who are representing Waikato in the best way possible, they are our future. This was most evident when this ‘old man’ was pitted against a few at this year’s Waikato Badminton (ABCD) Championships.

Congratulations to all who represented the Mighty Waikato with pride as they competed in various tournaments throughout the year from junior to senior and masters levels. It was great to watch our teams compete at the Wisden and Slazenger Cups. We look forward to having more players nominate for Inter-Association teams and also look to improve individually and as a team. We also delivered another world class tournament this year with the Yonex 2019 and look forward to welcoming some stars of the sport again from 26-29 March 2020. This level of badminton is exciting to watch and there’s no better way to support the development and growth of our sport by being there, so we look forward to securing the support of all Clubs, members and casuals, to be part of the event next year either as a competitor, volunteer, or spectator. Future growth of badminton in the greater Waikato area is high on the agenda, with that comes the need for facility improvement. In order for us to be successful, it is imperative we work with the wider Eastlink community, Hamilton City Council and Sport Waikato. I believe WBA have the right people, structure and engagement to make a courageous impact. Funding trends for facilities are moving towards collaborative (multi-purpose) spaces that are community oriented with shared services. Eastlink Sports have undertaken a project to refresh the site’s vision and enhance its governance model in order to bring any future facility concepts to light. At the same time, through recent discussions with some schools, we are presented with opportunity to access more courts in the new year. With the Badminton World Federation announcing the release of ‘AirBadminton’ this year, perhaps there may be even more opportunity to play badminton anywhere in the Waikato in the future. On a personal note, I would like to thank all the WBA staff and volunteers who demonstrate an incredible level of dedication, to those I team up with on court, in meetings or as a supporter on the sideline. Badminton is my time out where I get to relax and spent time with folk who enjoy the same sport.

Stu Morgan President

Stu in action at the Waikato Badminton (ABCD) Championships

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER REPORT

I’m delighted to deliver the Waikato Badminton Association (WBA) 2018/2019 Annual Report, since starting the CEO role in December 2018. Waikato Badminton continues to be in a great position both on and off the court as it truly delivers to ALL ages, ALL abilities, ALL year round. With record numbers at the WBA Talent ID day and Shuttle Time Junior Non-Rep Tournaments, we have been able to identify some young new talents which have fed into Waikato’s teams to compete at the New Zealand Junior Team Championships. The coaches involved across all our training squads have added incredible value and we hope to build on this momentum by continuing to invest in player pathways and coach development. In order to enhance our More Players, More Often strategy, growing workforce capacity and capability will be a key focus area next year.

Fun Games at a Shuttle Time Junior Non-Rep Tournament

Our participation base is also underpinned by very good relationships with intermediate and secondary schools that access badminton during school hours, after school hours, and in competitions. There is opportunity to reach more schools and more young participants in the future (including primary schools) with a larger coaching workforce and school partnerships. All school programs and WBA events such as Summer League and Interclub are admirably driven by Vincent Harris, who also provides expert coaching in the region.

It’s also a privilege to have Tracey Hallam lead the coaching at WBA and the Under 19 junior program at Badminton New Zealand. Keeping up with the high demand for coaching is a challenge in our region so with this comes a very busy schedule and all staff along with contracted coaches have worked well together to deliver quality training programs for juniors and seniors. We also celebrate the achievements of Kenneth Yew and Ganesh Gopal who are now certified BWF Level 1 Coaches. We look forward to having more coaches participate in personal development and education opportunities and contributing to the success of our growing programs. We also wish to train more parents, university students, school teachers and community leaders regardless of their badminton knowledge or skill, to deliver badminton to new participants. Inter-Association results have been consistent, with Waikato teams finishing relatively well across the board at senior, masters, veterans, and super veterans level. I was privileged to compete with the Masters team which finished in first place in Division 3, therefore earning a promotion to Division 2 next year. Whilst some injuries and results didn’t favour us, we were honoured to have retained many of the Wisden Cup winning players from the previous year, including TJ Weistra and Oliver Leydon-Davis who are both now based in . We are also proud that Oliver continues to perform well on the world stage in both men's doubles and mixed doubles disciplines. WBA also had several other players who gained selection to represent New Zealand at other International events. 2019 saw an upgrade to the court booking system at the Eastlink Badminton Stadium. This change to Pay2Play has allowed users to book courts online at their own convenience at any time (24/7) with the use of a simple login. At the same time, users no longer require a membership nor do they have to pre-load an account with credit meaning greater flexibility for casual visitors. This transition has been smooth whilst Pay2Play continue to customise and improve the system for our needs and the odd ‘specials’. I wish to thank Dwayne Irwin, Mike Perkinson and Maurice Smith who contribute their expertise, labour and time to enable WBA to operate and enjoy the use of the world-class badminton facility at the Eastlink Sports site in Hamilton. Access to more badminton courts across the Waikato region continues to be a challenge but we must look to collaborate with others to access indoor space which already exists or that could be developed further in partnership.

Volunteers at the Yonex Waikato International

People are assets of any organisation. There have been significant contributions made by volunteers from badminton clubs, the University of Waikato, WINTEC, and the general community. We are grateful for the time they give to drive essential coaching programs, deliver events, manage facilities, and administer club activities that underpin the success of our sport. Parents who assist with projects and travel with our teams as managers and helpers are also invaluable. For example, we had very demanding schedules at the Yonex Waikato International as well as at the New Zealand Junior Team Championships but we got through them successfully with the help of volunteers and parents. I wish to thank Doreen Wood, WBA Patron for her passion and encouragement, and the entire WBA Board for their advice and support during my first ‘season’. Special thanks also to Tracey, Vincent, and Loloma Foster for their commitment to the organisation and their personal co-operation. Tracey and Vincent have helped me get on with the job while Loloma has greatly assisted with my organisational learning and I also acknowledge TJ for his great legacy and service as CEO. Change is not always easy, so I'm very grateful for the transition process and thank him for leading the organisation with great vision and enthusiasm. We are grateful to be continually supported by a range of funders, sponsors, partners and clubs who contribute to WBA’s success. We have a strong engagement with both Badminton New Zealand and Sport Waikato who support and enable us to grow badminton in the region. It is also pleasing to meet and learn about our Affiliated Clubs who continue to offer playing opportunities, share ideas and activities to promote and grow the sport. As we move forward to develop a new Strategic Plan beyond 2020, I look forward to strengthening relationships with all who have an interest in badminton and/or other forms of sport and recreation, and strive to deliver programs in partnership that are sustainable and affordable for all participants. Together we are stronger.

Marianne Loh Chief Executive Officer

Marianne in action during an Inter-Association Senior Division 4 tie in Hamilton

DIRECTOR OF COACHING REPORT

It is pleasing to see a good number of our juniors participating in various tournaments throughout the year. With Waikato hosting an U13 and U17 tournament, several juniors from the Development Squad and Junior Rep Squad also learnt to compete at their first tournament and gained good experience which will help build for their future and when we travel to Palmerston North next year for the New Zealand Junior Team Championships. We saw Aaron Wan, Ethan Hu, Ellen Liu, Katie Li achieve some good results playing in Manawatu, and several other players such as Alex Liu, Andy Zhou, Aveer Virk, Ayla Strauss, Elizabeth Chen, Joanna Li, Lucas Qin, Nithin Perumal, Ruby Patterson, Pengshen Xu, Samuel Ma also ventured to different regions to compete. Raphael Deloy, Victoria Guo and Amreen Virk from the Elite Squad participated in the most number of tournaments this year. Raphael achieved consistent performances ('triple crowns') at U13 level, winning most events he competed in whilst also performing well in one or two age group events above his age. As the season progressed, Raphael was challenged more within his age group but he handled the pressure well and managed to win all U13 national titles he had dedicated his training to this season. Victoria also achieved consistent performances at U15 level this year and also demonstrated an ability to compete at a higher level by gaining some good results at U17 level and also being selected for the Slazenger Cup team. Amreen has had some hard fought wins this year at U17 and U19 level and also made her debut at International level this year at the Yonex Waikato International. U19 players Ben Perkinson, Lily Rose and Ella Smith combined with each other and various partners throughout the year and achieved some strong results at U19 tournaments as well as at other events, including the Yonex Waikato International. Congratulations to Erena Calder-Hawkins who enjoyed some success this year by winning the Women’s Doubles in the New Zealand Senior National Championships whilst making continuous improvements to her game with her doubles and mixed doubles partners from different Associations. We were pleased to have fielded many teams in the Northern Region Local Derby this year as all Junior Rep and Elite Squad players were selected into 2 x U13 teams, 1 x U15 boys only team, 1 x U15 team and 1 x U17 team. Good experience was gained for the U13 age groups as many have not played a tournament outside of Hamilton so great experience ahead of the New Zealand Junior Team Championships. The U15 and U17 teams had some relatively new players with varying abilities, so the team did its best to come together as a group.

We also brought together a record number of teams for the New Zealand Junior Team Championships, fielding teams in every age group and two in the U13’s. We hope that all the newcomers enjoyed their time at the tournament despite having a pretty hectic schedule. Aside from tournaments, at the Waikato Badminton Junior Talent ID day a record number of children turned up for the Junior trials in early March. Players were selected on physical and technical skills to make up our Junior Development Squad for 2019. This year the Junior Development Squad has been given some outline to help guide some training sessions and align their development to be consistent with national junior development programmes. I thank coaches Erena Calder-Hawkins, Jahvaya Wheki, Vincent Harris for their great contribution to developing these new players. I really enjoy coaching the Junior Rep Squad and will need to explore more ways to get players to consistently practice what we ask of them. This sometimes requires players to try making changes and at the same time requires self-belief, bravery and resilience to focus on the correct and faster path to progression. It is great to watch players who constantly improve at training, which then also reflects in tournament results and their engagement in the sport long term. In the Junior Rep space, I would like to acknowledge the contribution that Paul Hanton has made towards this group of young players starting out on their badminton journey. Paul has given countless hours as a volunteer to help these players and support me which has also led to a confident coach in Paul himself. I wish him and his wife Sue all the best in the move down to Blenheim. At the 2018 Badminton New Zealand Junior Camp in Napier, Waikato players attended the selection camps. Selected for the national programme were Raphael Deloy and Victoria Guo for U15s, Amreen Virk and Joanna Li for U17s, Adam Jeffrey for U19s. These players attend additional training commitments members with their respectful age group squads. It is always good to have a number of our junior players included in selection camps so they have an opportunity to perform and impress Badminton New Zealand coaches and selectors to be included in the performance programme each year. This year, it was challenging to balance my attention between coaching Elite and High- Performance group in the afternoons. Due to varying abilities and many more demanding (work/study/event) commitments, attendance was inconsistent across the High Performance group causing a challenge to the planning for joint sessions. The High Performance structure is in review for 2020 – we wish players who have relocated well, and we look forward to supporting the remaining players who wish to compete at the highest level in badminton. I wish to thank John Jiang for covering several training sessions as well as leading the Under 15 team at the Northern Region Local Derby this year. It was good to see a number of new players nominating for Seniors and Masters teams this year. Like every year, Masters team selections is a puzzle to put together each year and we thank all the teams for coming together and competing to the best of their ability. The Waikato 3 Senior team were nail bitingly close to promotion after a great effort by the team however it was a shame that they just missed out to a motivated and inspired Hawkes Bay mixed combination on the last match of the tie. Kenneth Yew did a great job leading this team and I also appreciate him stepping in to lead the senior squad training sessions during the season.

In terms of Wisden and Slazenger Cup, it was a great effort by both teams however we have a number of players at both ends of the age and experience spectrum and not many in the middle. Some of our players in Slazenger Cup needed better consistency and match fitness to compete well throughout the event. However, it does look good for the future as we hope continue to develop junior reps to play badminton for life. In the interim, it could be tough for Waikato to maintain a top half finish in Wisden Cup particularly. In summary, players from Waikato achieved the following across Junior and Senior events: • 24 Open Tournament Titles (13 Singles, 6 Doubles, 5 Mixed) • 9 National Tournament Titles (2 Singles, 3 Doubles and 4 Mixed) One of our main challenges for 2020 will be from a coaching perspective. Three of our coaches relocate at the end of 2019 - wish them the best in their new careers - Erena Calder- Hawkins, Paul Hanton and Vincent Harris. We are pleased to welcome two newly qualified BWF Level 1 coaches in Ganesh Gopal and Kenneth Yew, and look forward to having them contribute to our player programs in the future. I look forward to improving and developing what we have, and lead players to bringing about the best in themselves. This will involve meeting with players and empowering them with individually specific development areas which will be classed as ‘SMART’ goals. As this is happening at national level it would be good to document player progress at Waikato level to have some alignment and evidence for future selections and benchmarking. It will also be important to spend time with new coaches to provide help and feedback to enable them to grow. Time also needs to be spent identifying people to access Shuttle Time and other BWF coaching qualifications. We also welcome more parents keen to assist with manager and parent helper positions when Waikato players are competing in team events such as the Northern Region Local Derby and New Zealand Junior Team Championships.

Tracey Hallam Director of Coaching

Tracey Hallam coaching Amreen Virk at the Yonex Waikato International 2020

SCHOOLS & EVENTS MANAGER REPORT

I am grateful to have the opportunity to present my annual report as the Waikato Badminton Association Schools & Events Manager for the 2019 year. I have been happy with delivery of Shuttle Time at schools across the Waikato region, as well as the events run within WBA throughout the year. There are also opportunities to improve and adapt, which will make for an exciting and innovative 2020! Schools Starting the year over the summer season, our Junior Summer club proved to be a positive initiative in providing badminton for school-age players whose clubs do not run over the warmer times of the year. We had students ranging from beginners starting off their badminton ambitions to high schoolers who wanted the court time to play around with friends and to meet new people – either way they had a blast! Our 5 Shuttle Time Junior Non-Rep tournaments not only gave us an opportunity to recognize talent throughout the region, but also gave beginning players a taste for competitive badminton, with success shown through these players coming back and having improved from the last time. We had 214 players total play across the competitions. The support from NumberWorks'nWords Rototuna for Shuttle Time is greatly appreciated. Shuttle Time at schools began slowly, only having a few schools follow up their sessions from last year, being the likes of Rototuna Junior High School and Forest View High School. However, Marian Catholic School, Peachgrove Intermediate, Hillcrest High School and Hamilton Girls’ High School had us come on board, running badminton at their schools on a weekly basis throughout different parts of the year. This had to do a lot with increased demand from students wanting to play badminton as many teachers were asking for help in managing the numbers. Another factor to consider was that the students wanted to play in the Waikato Secondary Schools Competition. There was also a lot of attention made to the demand of intermediate school players wanting to play a longer Intermediate Schools’ Competition, which we’ve only run over Term 2. We spent some time again in Taupo, running Shuttle Time at the schools in that area. This, again, was an awesome initiative to getting these students a chance to play badminton and expose them to the opportunity of playing at the developing club in Taupo.

Good entries at Shuttle Time Junior Non-Rep Tournament

Later in the year, St. Paul’s Collegiate, Morrinsville School, St. Joseph’s Catholic, Life Unlimited and Waikato Diocesan School for Girls had us come in and run Shuttle Time. Feedback from the teachers was all very positive and showed promise for having us return next year. We now also have Hamilton Christian School scheduled for the entire Term 4 after having us come in towards the end of the third term – they have increasing numbers each week and show promise for having teams enter the Secondary School Competition in 2020. • Cluster competitions: Thames Valley, South Waikato and King Country Secondary School competitions, overall, were a success in that these schools in the wider Waikato region had an opportunity to be exposed to badminton. Thames Valley had the smallest entry with 10 teams (45 players), due to being held on the last week of the school term, in which schools have sports exchanges. In future, we need to avoid holding these competitions in the first or last week of term. King Country brought 27 teams (108 players) while South Waikato brought 23 teams (92 players) to their respective events. • Intermediate Schools competition: 25 teams (55 players) played over Term 2. • Secondary Schools competition: 61 teams (250 players) played over Terms 2 and 3. Competition numbers sit reasonably consistent in comparison to 2018. The Secondary Schools space has increased immensely, and primary/intermediate school space could be improved. Overall, at least 6328 (not including Waikato SS) students were reached through our Shuttle Time programme from the beginning of 2019 to the end of the Term 3 school holidays (10/10/2019), with more bookings confirmed in Term 4, and our Junior Summer club starting in November. In future we need to provide schools and their students with a more detailed pathway of how to further pursue and develop their interest in badminton outside of school. This could further the Shuttle Time programs in schools, give students a great badminton experience and feed more players into clubs and representative level play. We also welcome more people passionate about badminton putting their hands up to assist with coaching responsibilities at junior clubs and schools.

Events I was pleased with the outcomes of the events run through WBA this year. I was learning much of the processes involved in event management last year, and I’m grateful for what TJ, the previous CEO, taught me then. This year I was more prepared and knowledgeable in what needed to be done and when it needed to be done by. I am very thankful for the support from Marianne and many volunteers helping events to run smoothly, Yonex Waikato International: This was an eventful and exciting start to the year, having high quality players from around the globe come and compete. Marianne did an awesome job of managing so many different people and groups, and I believe that the tournament was successful in that the players, officials and volunteers were well informed and well looked after, and the spectators had a chance to see what good badminton looked like in person. We had 145 entries from 14 different countries compete. WBA Interclub: Interclub ran over two blocks of 7-8 weeks this year and I was pleased with the running of the competition. The first round (B Grade, C Grade and Russ Proctor) consisted of 19 teams across the 3 divisions, and the second round (Presidents and Dallinger Cups) consisted of 10 teams across the 2 divisions. Feedback from Interclub players were appreciated at the end of the season. Grading is always a contentious issue but WBA developed a grading policy this year which provides a better guide and understanding to how player grades are determined. Players were also interested in different competition formats, including a standalone competition for females similar to the Russ Proctor Cup. In help from all Clubs, these are all great ideas for WBA to trial in future years to help develop a more thriving Interclub system, raise intensity throughout the competition and raise the level of passion and commitment to the Club system. Waikato U13 and U17 Opens: U13 brought 188 entries and U17 brought 101 entries to the Waikato to compete for ranking points, and respective age-group dominance. We had positive feedback from parents at the end of the competitions as we provided ample competition for the top players as well as the developing players that entered. Good planning and having a referee present at these competitions is certainly helpful. Waikato Badminton ABCD Championships: Our regional championships brought 185 entries to the Eastlink Badminton Stadium this year. With over 200 matches across 4 grades, everyone involved was given the opportunity to push their playing ability in a crowded, bustling, but also fun environment. Although we had positive feedback from players regarding this event, there may be opportunities to extend the tournament across 2 days. My time at WBA is coming to a close and I can’t thank the board and all those involved enough for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this family. I started here as a player over 12 years ago and because of badminton have learned so much about life and who I want to be as a person. I’ll always be a proud Waikato boy and supporter of what Waikato Badminton stands for.

Vincent Harris Schools & Events Manager Shuttle Time in schools

NEW ZEALAND JUNIOR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019

Under 13 Waikato Bellbirds Team Under 13 Waikato Moreporks Team

Coach: Erena Calder-Hawkins Coach: Jahvaya Wheki Team Manager: Darryl Fong Team Manager: Lin Chen Parent Helper: Justin Liu Parent Helper: Sam Zhang Girls: Ellen Liu, Katie Li, Kaylin Fong Girls: Elizabeth Chen, Cici Guo, Martina Boys: Aaron Wan, Ethan Hu, Raphael Zhang Deloy Boys: Allan Rong, Lucas Qin, Samuel Ma Final Placing: 4th (Division 1) Final Placing: 2nd (Division 2)

Pop’n’Good Under 15 Waikato Team Coach: Vincent Harris Team Manager: SP Ramakrishnan Parent Helpers: Juanita Strauss, Marie Patterson Girls: Ayla Strauss, Brittany Marais, Ella Cho, Ruby Patterson, Victoria Guo Boys: Alex Liu, Andrew Chang, Andy Zhou, Aveer Virk, Kevin Li, Nithin Perumal Final Placing: 6th (Division 1)

Mercury Under 17 Waikato Team Coach: Paul Hanton Team Manager: Anirban Dey Parent Helpers: Saniya Kansal, Vanessa Mercer Girls: Amreen Virk, Elizabeth Mercer, Jessica Zeng, Joanna Li, Saniya Kansal, Boys: Abhishek Dey, Dhusar Chatterjee, Jeff Jia, Pengshen Xu, Tebijan Kalarathan Final Placing: 2nd (Division 2)

Diamond Under 19 Waikato Team Coach: Tracey Hallam Team Manager: Wendy Perkinson Parent Helpers: Mike Perkinson Girls: Claudia Smith, Ella Smith, Lily Rose Boys: Ben Perkinson, Jiaming Li, Max Wu Final Placing: 5th (Division 1)

2019 WAIKATO BADMINTON ASSOCIATION SQUADS Junior Development Squad Aaron Li Anmol Virk Chris Baby Annabella Furmage Druss Mercer (Term 1) Cici Guo Isaac Li Jenny Xiang (Term 3 & 4) Jesse Chen Jessica Monroe Johan Arakadavil Josie Li Johan Robin Joseph Kaylin Fong Josh Pratheesh Tavisha Badhan (Term 1 & 2) Louie McHardy Tonia Cui Mihir Kumra Rock Wang Ryan Wang Samson Harry

Junior Representative Squad Aaron Wan Ayla Strauss Abhishek Dey Brittany Marais Allan Rong Ella Cho Andrew Chang Elizabeth Chen Dhusar Chatterjee (Term 3 & 4) Elizabeth Mercer Eddie Bi Ellen Liu Ethan Hu Katie Li Jeff Jia Martina Zhang Lucas Qin Ruby Patterson Nithin Perumal Saniya Kansal Pengshen Xu (Term 3 & 4) Reeshab Thapliyal Samuel Ma

Junior Elite Squad Andy Zhou Amreen Virk Alex Liu Danika Marais Aveer Virk Joanna Li Kevin Li Victoria Guo Raphael Deloy Tebijan Kalarathan

High Performance Squad Adam Jeffrey (Term 1) Ella Smith Ben Perkinson Erena Calder-Hawkins Chris Steeghs Jahvaya Wheki Jasmanjot Virk Lily Rose Matthew Graham Vincent Harris

2019 INTER-ASSOCIATION TEAMS & RESULTS

2019 Wisden & Slazenger Cup teams together

Wisden Cup Team (Final Placing: 4th) Henry Tam Ella Smith Michael Fowke Erena Calder-Hawkins Oliver Leydon-Davis Susannah Leydon-Davis TJ Weistra Tracey Hallam Vincent Harris vs Waitakere lost 2-4 vs North Harbour lost 1-5 vs Canterbury won 4-1 vs North Harbour lost 1-4 vs Auckland lost 3-3

Slazenger Cup Team (Final Placing: 4th) Alastair Gatt Amreen Virk Ben Perkinson Jahvaya Wheki Chris Steeghs Joanna Li Jasmanjot Virk Lily Rose Matthew Graham Michelle Au Victoria Guo vs Waitakere won 6-5 vs North Harbour 1 lost 2-9 vs Southland won 7-4 vs Auckland lost 2-7 vs North Harbour 2 lost 4-6

Tracey Hallam and TJ Weistra combining in Mixed Doubles at the Wisden Cup

Senior Division 4 Team 1 (Final Placing: 2nd) Ben Lee Coco Hsueh Ben Perkinson (promoted to Slazenger) Felicity Leydon-Davis Ceasar Calawan Karen Yang Craig Post Kelsi Wallace Kenneth Yew Lee Underdown Reon McFarlane Lee Young See Keat Lu Marianne Loh vs Auckland 4 won 10-1 vs Waikato 4 won 11-0 vs Hutt Valley 1 won 8-3 vs Wellington 2 won 8-3 vs Taranaki won 6-5 vs Thames Valley won 10-1 vs Counties Manukau 2 won 6-5 vs Hawkes Bay 1 lost 5-6

Senior Division 4 Team 2 (Final Placing: 7th) Corrie Robinson Alex Millar Ganesh Gopal Hansol An Ginghis Maranan Helena Walsh Jason Sim Jumarie Lumiwes Jeeraj Rajkumar Mily Downs Kenneth Romero Xiao Cui Zhou Michael Downs Scott Laurie Eugene Yew vs Thames Valley won 10-1 vs Waikato 3 lost 0-11 vs Wellington 2 lost 4-7 vs Hutt Valley 1 lost 1-10 vs Hawkes Bay 1 lost 4-7 vs Taranaki lost 5-6 vs Counties Manukau 2 won 6-5 vs Auckland 4 won 11-0

Masters Division 1 Team (Final Placing: 4th) Alastair Gatt Amanda Stewart Dominic Buckell Jackie Downs Nallapan Soomu Linda Davey Ray Downs Pam Bouma Scott Laurie Sally McCarthy Tracey Hallam vs Waitakere 2 lost 3-9 vs Auckland 1 lost 4-8 vs Wellington 1 won 10-2 vs Hawke's Bay 1 won 9-3 vs North Harbour 1 lost 4-8 vs Counties Manukau 1 won 6-6 vs Whanganui won 11-1 vs Waitakere 1 won 10-2

Masters Division 3 Team (Final Placing: 1st) Anthony Young Kate Whitten Ganesh Gopal Marianne Loh James Wan Tina Skinner Mike Henson Xiao Cui Zhou Rupinder Virk Tejinder Virk vs Waitakere 4 won 11-1 vs Bay of Plenty 2 won 12-0 vs Hutt Valley 2 won 12-0 vs Counties Manukau 2 won 11-1 vs Eastland won 8-4 vs Horowhenua Kapiti won 9-3 vs North Harbour 4 won 11-1 vs Auckland 3 won 12-0

Masters Division 4 Team (Final Placing: 4th) Antony Joll Gina Li Dwayne Irwin Katrina Peake Glen Paterson Lorna Goodin Kelvin Lin Lyn Wheki Ranga Kulasooriya Sharon Becht Stuart Icke vs Northland 2 won 7-5 vs North Harbour 5 lost 1-11 vs Hawke's Bay 2 won 7-5 vs Auckland 4 won 6-6 vs Wellington North lost 1-11 vs Oroua won 6-6 vs Taranaki lost 1-11 vs Thames Valley won 8-4

Vets Division 1 Team (Final Placing: 9th) Alastair Gatt Jackie Downs Benscent Tseng Sally McCarthy Gene Fletcher Wilhelmina Mentzel Ray Downs vs Waikato 1 won 6-3 vs Hawkes Bay 1 lost 3-6 vs Northland 1 lost 4-5 vs North Harbour 1 lost 1-8 vs Waitakere 2 lost 2-7 vs Waitakere 1 lost 0-9 vs Wanganui 1 lost 4-5 vs Auckland 1 lost 1-8

Vets Division 3 Team (Final Placing: 5th) Alan Neal Faye Post Anthony Young Gayle Hobbs Irving Young Lyn Wheki Stu Morgan vs Auckland 3 lost 3-6 vs Waitakere 5 lost 3-6 vs Hawkes Bay 2 won 3-6 vs Counties Manukau 1 lost 3-6 vs Horowhenua Kapiti 1 won 7-2 vs Waitakere 6 won 6-3 vs Taranaki 2 won 6-3 vs Wellington 1 lost 1-8

Vets Division 4 Team (Final Placing: 7th) Andrew Chan Helen Courtney Maurice Greaney Lorna Goodin Paul Hanton Sharon Becht Paul Stobbs Sue Faxon Philip Paterson Yvonne Ennion Steve Lawrence vs Manawatu 2 won 6-3 vs Bay of Plenty 2 lost 9-0 vs Wellington 2 lost 3-6 vs Oroua lost 9-0 vs Wellington 2 lost 3-6 vs Auckland 4 lost 2-7

Super Vets Division 2 Team (Final Placing: 5th) Andrew Chan Carolyn Goodin Paul Stobbs Helen Courtney Steve Lawrence Gayle Hobbs Murray Orr Wilhelmina Mentzel vs Auckland 2 won 7-2 vs Waitakere 4 won 9-0 vs Auckland 1 lost 4-5 vs North Harbour lost 3-6 vs Hawkes Bay won 5-4 vs Auckland 2 won 6-3

Collage of all 2019 Seniors, Masters, Vets and Super Vets Inter-Association Teams

OTHER 2019 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS Individual/Team 2019 Event & Results Alex Liu Counties Manukau Under 15 Open BS Consolation Plate Winner

Amreen Virk North Island & Wellington Under 17 Open GS Winner GD Winner

North Island & Bay of Plenty Under 19 Open WS Plate Winner

Whanganui Under 17 Open GS Winner GD Runner-Up

Andrew Chan New Zealand Masters National Championships MD 60+ Runner-Up MD 65+ Runner-Up

Ayla Strauss Manawatu Under 15 Open GD Winner

Carol Leydon-Davis New Zealand Masters National Championships WD 65+ Runner-Up

Ella Smith Counties Manukau Open WS Runner-Up WD Winner

North Island & Bay of Plenty Under 19 Open WD Runner Up

Ellen Liu New Zealand Under 13 National Championships Division 2 GD Winner

Erena Calder-Hawkins New Zealand National Championships WD Winner

Left: Erena Calder- Hawkins in action at the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open 2019

Right: Amreen Virk in action at the Yonex Waikato International 2019

Individual/Team 2019 Event & Results Ethan Hu Manawatu Under 13 Open XD Plate Winner

Katie Li Manawatu Under 13 Open GS Plate Winner XD Plate Winner

New Zealand Under 13 National Championships Division 2 GD Winner

Lily Rose North Island & Bay of Plenty Under 19 Open WD Runner-Up

Maurice King New Zealand Masters National Championships MS 50+ Runner-Up

Murray Orr New Zealand Masters National Championships MS 70+ Runner-Up MD 70+ Winner

Top Left: Lily Rose & Ella Smith pairing together at the North Island & Bay of Plenty Under 19 Open; Top Right: Raphael Deloy in action at the Waikato Under 13 Open; Bottom Left: Oliver Leydon-Davis competes at the Wisden Cup; Bottom Right: Tracey Hallam competes at the Wisden Cup

Individual/Team 2019 Event & Results Raphael Deloy Manawatu Under 13 Open BS Winner BD Winner XD Winner

Auckland Under 13 BS Winner BD Winner XD Winner

Counties Manukau Under 15 Open XD Runner-Up

North Harbour Under 13 Open BS Winner XD Winner

Waikato Under 13 Open BS Winner BD Winner XD Winner

AIMS Games Division 1 BS Winner Division 1 BD Runner-Up

Whanganui Under 15 Open BS Winner XD Runner-Up

Whanganui Under 17 Open BS Winner XD Winner

New Zealand Under 13 National Championships BS Winner BD Winner XD Winner

Oliver Leydon-Davis Dutch International MD Runner-Up

Hellas Open MD Runner-Up

Bulgarian Open MD Runner-Up

Sydney International XD Runner-Up

Individual/Team 2019 Event & Results Tracey Hallam Manawatu Open WS Winner XD Winner

New Zealand Masters National Championships WS 35/40+ Winner WD 35+ Winner XD 35+ Winner WD 40+ Runner-Up XD 40+ Winner

Victoria Guo North Island & Bay of Plenty Under 15 Open WS Runner Up XD Plate Winner

Waikato Under 17 Open GS Plate Winner GD Runner-Up

Counties Manukau Under 15 Open GS Runner-Up GD Plate Winner

North Harbour Under 17 Open GD Runner-Up

Whanganui Under 15 Open GS Winner GD Winner XD Runner-Up

Whanganui Under 17 Open GS Runner-Up XD Winner

New Zealand Under 17 National Championships Division 2 XD Winner

New Zealand Under 15 National Championships GS Runner-Up GD Runner-Up XD Winner

Vincent Harris Manawatu Open MS Winner MD Winner XD Winner

Wellington Open MS Winner

Left: The University of Waikato Badminton claims a historic win

Right: Victoria Guo at the North Island & Bay of Plenty Under 15 Open

Individual/Team 2019 Event & Results Wilhelmina Mentzel New Zealand Masters National Championships WD 65+ Runner-Up WD 70+ Winner

Xiao Cui Zhou New Zealand Masters National Championships WS 45+ Runner-Up

University of Waikato Badminton National Tertiary Sport Championships Team Gold

Top Left: University of Waikato Inter-Halls Snakes & Ladders Badminton; Top Right: Kenneth Yew coaching; Bottom Left: BWF Shuttle Time Coaching Course; Bottom Right: BNZ National Certified Umpire Course

PLAYERS IN NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL SQUADS Under 15 National Squad Raphael Deloy, Victoria Guo Under 17 National Squad Joanna Li, Amreen Virk Under 19 National Squad Ella Smith Senior National Squad Erena Calder-Hawkins Oliver Leydon-Davis

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION Oceania Senior Championships 2019 Erena Calder-Hawkins Oliver Leydon-Davis Adam Jeffrey Oceania Junior Championships 2019 Ella Smith 2019 Oliver Leydon-Davis Australian Junior International 2019 Amreen Virk World Para-Badminton Championships 2019 Corrie Robinson World Junior Championships 2019 Ella Smith

Corrie Robinson in action at an Inter-Association tie

WAIKATO BADMINTON AWARDS (2019 SEASON) Administrator of the Year : Tina Skinner Coach of the Year : Kenneth Yew Club Service Award : Marlene Thornton Club / Team of the Year : Kings Garden Badminton Club Volunteer of the Year : Paul Hanton Most Improved Development Squad Players : Chris Baby, Kaylin Fong Most Improved Junior Rep Players : Ayla Strauss, Nithin Perumal Most Improved Elite Squad Player : Raphael Deloy Most Improved Player Overall : Victoria Guo Junior Recognition Trophy : Amreen Virk, Ella Smith Junior Player of the Year : Victoria Guo Senior Recognition Trophy : Erena Calder-Hawkins Senior Player of the Year : Oliver Leydon-Davis Masters Recognition Trophy : Alastair Gatt Masters Player of the Year : Tracey Hallam

WBA HOSTED EVENT RESULTS

YONEX WAIKATO INTERNATIONAL 2019

Event Name Country Men’s Singles Winner Tien Minh Nguyen Vietnam

Runner-Up Gao Zhengze Women’s Singles Winner Wang Siqi China

Runner-Up Wu Yuqi China Men’s Doubles Xuheng Zhuanyi Winner China Zhang Binrong Wen Xing Abel Tan Runner-Up Singapore Han Zhuo Toh Women’s Doubles Hou Fangfang Winner China Li Jiajia Pan Hanxiao Runner-Up China Yang Jiayi Mixed Doubles Hiroki Midorikawa Winner Natsu Saito Simon Wing Hang Leung Runner-Up Australia Gronya Somerville

Left: Tien Minh Nguyen claims the Men’s Singles title; Right: Women’s Doubles presentation

CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS WAIKATO UNDER 13 OPEN

Event Name Boys Singles Winner Raphael Deloy Runner-Up Jack Ji Plate Winner Matthew Zhao Girls Singles Winner Nanna Siegemund Runner-Up Lillian Cao Plate Winner Melody Cheng Boys Doubles Tristan Apalisok Winner Raphael Deloy Darren Wee Runner-Up Lechuan Xiao Alex Liu Plate Winner Darren Liu Girls Doubles Nanna Siegemund Winner Josephine Zhao Lillian Cao Runner-Up Jessie Lin Maia Chen Plate Winner Rosie Yang Mixed Doubles Raphael Deloy Winner Nanna Siegemund Tristan Apalisok Runner-Up Josephine Zhao Marco Deng Plate Winner Rosie Yang

WAIKATO UNDER 17 OPEN

Event Name Boys Singles Winner Jack Wang Runner-Up Clive Luna Plate Winner Dylan Naera Classic Plate Winner Jerry Jian Consolation Plate Winner Matthew O’Connor Girls Singles Winner Ashley Tan Runner-Up Angelina Ung Plate Winner Victoria Guo Consolation Plate Winner Natasha Alijabar Boys Doubles Clive Luna Winner Jack Wang John Lin Runner-Up Jeffrey Zheng Nick Shi Plate Winner Jacob Wolf Girls Doubles Roanne Apalisok Winner Ashley Tan Victoria Guo Runner-Up Anna Ryu Natasha Alijabar Plate Winner Elsa Dai Mixed Doubles Jack Wang Winner Roanne Apalisok Lucas Mitchell Runner-Up Angelina Ung Anthony Kuan Plate Winner Bethany Lake

CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS WAIKATO BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

A Grade Name C Grade Name MS Winner Vincent Harris MS Winner Ranga Kulasooriya

MS Runner-Up Jasmanjot Virk MS Runner-Up Roger Lee

WS Winner Tracey Hallam WS Winner Katie Li

WS Runner-Up Joanna Li WS Runner-Up Ruby Patterson Matthew Graham Ranga Kulasooriya MD Winner MD Winner Chris Steeghs Jason Wu Ben Perkinson Roger Lee MD Runner-Up MD Runner-Up Jasmanjot Virk Jeeraj Rajkumar Tracey Hallam MD Plate Andrew Chamberlin WD Winner Lily Rose Winner Keith Morgan Erena Calder- Brittany Marais WD Winner WD Runner-Up Hawkins Alex Millar Jahvaya Wheki Aimee Imperial WD Runner-Up Vincent Harris Aloha Sison XD Winner Erena Calder- JP Jennings XD Winner Hawkins Kimberley Burr Jayanth Gowda Ariel Imperial XD Runner-Up XD Runner-Up Lee Young Aloha Sison Shuming Ke XD Plate Winner Elizabeth Chen B Grade Name MS Winner Craig Post D Grade Name MS Runner-Up Reon Mcfarlane WS Winner Ainsley Leslie MS Plate Raphael Deloy Winner WS Runner-Up Cici Guo Zadoc Kancharla MD Winner Kenga Shanmugan Michael Downs MD Runner-Up Reon Mcfarlane MD Plate Ceasar Calawan Winner Anthony Shea Pam Bouma WD Winner Linda Davey Mily Downs WD Runner-Up Helena Walsh Craig Post XD Winner Linda Davey Reon Mcfarlane XD Runner-Up Mily Downs C Grade Mixed Doubles Presentation

A Grade Mixed Doubles players in action B Grade Mixed Doubles players in action

WBA INTERCLUB

Event Winner Name B Grade Filipino Badminton Club C Grade Hamilton Badminton Club Russ Proctor Code D Badminton Club Presidents Cup Horsham Downs (A) Badminton Club Dallinger Cup Code D Badminton Club

A WBA Interclub evening at the Eastlink Badminton Stadium

WAIKATO SECONDARY SCHOOLS COMPETITION (HAMILTON)

Event Winner Name Division 1 Boys Hillcrest Gold Division 1 Girls Hillcrest Gold Division 2 Boys Hillcrest Navy Division 2 Girls Fairfield College Division 3 Boys Rototuna High School Toru Division 3 Girls Fairfield College T1

SOUTH WAIKATO SECONDARY SCHOOLS COMPETITION

Event Winner Name Juniors Putaruru Pokaiwhenua Seniors Forest View High School 1

THAMES VALLEY SECONDARY SCHOOLS COMPETITION

Event Winner Name Juniors Katikati College Junior Gold Seniors Hauraki Plains College

KING COUNTRY SECONDARY SCHOOLS COMPETITION

Event Winner Name Juniors Piopio College Junior 4 Seniors Piopio College Senior 1

WAIKATO INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS COMPETITION

Event Winner Name Boys Division Peachgrove Intermediate 1 Girls Division Hamilton Chinese School G1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Waikato Badminton Association works in partnership with a variety of funders and sponsors to deliver a variety of programs, events and activities throughout the year. We acknowledge and thank the following organisations and individuals for their support throughout the year.

Funding Partners

https://www.trustwaikato.co.nz Trust Waikato supported the costs of administration and coach delivery of junior development programs.

http://www.nzct.org.nz New Zealand Community Trust supported the salaries of the WBA Chief Executive Officer and Director of Coaching.

https://www.lionfoundation.org.nz Lion Foundation supported the salaries of the WBA Chief Executive Officer and Administrator.

https://www.tst.org.nz The Southern Trust is supported a Pathways Development Project which will provide further opportunities for players to develop at school, club and regional level.

https://www.welenergytrust.co.nz WEL Energy Trust is supported the installation of new LED light fittings at the Eastlink Badminton Stadium which will reduce energy consumption and costs whilst significantly enhancing the visibility and experience for stadium users.

https://www.rita.org.nz The Racing Industry Transition Agency supported the purchase of feather shuttles used in our junior development programs, community programs, and other inter-association and open tournaments.

Sport Partners

Shuttle Time Sponsor

Event Sponsors

Program Sponsors & Supporters

Stadium Sponsors ACTIVE HEALTH GREY STREET MOTORS ALL SAFE ELECTRICAL HAMILTON FOOT CLINIC APR - ACTION PROPERTY HARCOURTS - ROBBIE SIDHU RENTALS iHOME MORTGAGES CANTEC HAMILTON JAIPUR INDIAN RESTAURANT CHIBNALL, BUCKELL TEAM KBL CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS ARCHITECTS LODGE REAL ESTATE – TONY CLARENCE MEDICAL TANG COOK STREET SOCIAL NUMBERWORKS'NWORDS CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS PEAKSTONE HOMES DEMACIA HOMES ULSTER LODGE MOTEL FB HALL URBAN PRINT GREENLAND VALUERS

Other Donations 21st Badminton Club, Dey family, Doreen Wood, Kansal family, PJ Jones, Rong family

WAIKATO BADMINTON ASSOCIATION 30 Old Farm Road, Hamilton East, 3216 | P +64 7 856 3049 waikatobadminton.co.nz | facebook.com/waikatobadminton | instagram.com/waikatobadminton