Written Transcript of Peter Gade’s Video Interview Part 1 Peter Gade: Then there was someplace else in Demark, that place was a very good place for youth projects, for talent projects in Aarhus another part and that made it a natural time for me to make a decision whether I should play badminton or football. And I choose badminton because I was more an individual, I was more on my own, I could take full responsibility, that’s what I liked at that time. Since I’ve been missing the team part and being part of the team, but I don’t regret my decision, probably it was a good decision. Chau Yap: You were quite good in soccer as well – I mean football? Peter Gade: Yes I was quite good, yeah. Chau Yap: Oh ok, what position did you play in? Peter Gade: Midfielder. Chau Yap: A mid-fielder, oh ok. That explains why you have so much stamina. Peter Gade: But quite attacking, but that also explains… Chau Yap: Yeah, ok, ok. So, it’s when you turned – you said sixteen, right, that you decided to play Badminton professionally, was it sixteen? Peter Gade: Professional was when I was seventeen, eighteen, I moved alone, I moved from Aarhus to the main capital, to the Copenhagen area and that was the final professional step and say now, this is what I want to do. But since I was fourteen, fifteen years old, I was very focused and this was the only thing I wanted to do. Chau Yap: What would be the national sport for Denmark is it Badminton or is it football? Peter Gade: No, I think it’s handball and football. Chau Yap: Handball and football. Peter Gade: That would be the primary national sport and then you’ve got Badminton coming close behind. Chau Yap: Oh, ok. Why is it such a tradition, as in Badminton and Denmark? ________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2012 © www.badminton-information.com 1 Peter Gade: I don’t know, I think it’s a matter of history, we’ve always done well in Badminton and we have a very deep club tradition. We have a lot of small clubs, everyone with the youth department, the junior department and the senior department and it’s always been like this, it’s a natural development. It’s very wide spread, Badminton. It’s not that high profile as Handball or football, but it’s very widespread and a lot of people play it and a lot of small Badminton venues are placed around in very good stadiums, small stadiums very small, but really, really good and that’s the main reason I think. Chau Yap: Ok. For you, which is the hardest skill to master or perfect in Badminton? Peter Gade: I don’t know. What I like so much about Badminton is it’s a combination, it’s not only one thing, it’s not only about running one hundred meters or throwing a shot put or whatever. This is complex, you need to have a great stamina, you need to be mentally, extremely tough, you need to be very fast, you need to be technical at the best, you need to be very explosive and very fast in your fast movement. All these things you know and you have an opponent on the other side, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s a mental game and the combination of all this I really like, that’s what makes me really like the sport, it’s not only one thing. Chau Yap: Ok, how much of Badminton is mental rather than skills and physical attributes? Peter Gade: It’s difficult to divide it into percentages, but what I like so much about it is that if you miss one of the elements, you’re not going to be good. Chau Yap: That’s right. Peter Gade: If you lack one, you’re going to fall behind and you need to be at the top level, the best players today, they are at the top level at every one of these areas and that’s why they are at the top level. Chau Yap: Ok. Peter Gade: If you’re number ten in the world and below, that’s why they lack some in some areas, but when you’ve got all the other things, the mental part is hugely important. Chau Yap: Ok, great. Do you follow the other disciples like women, doubles or mix? Peter Gade: I follow them, but I have to say my primary interest goes to the singles. I think this is where the main challenge, where you see the best players in the world is ________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2012 © www.badminton-information.com 2 competing. But I also respect the men’s doubles a lot because it’s quite fun to watch and there’s a lot of fast action. I think the ladies doubles, you know only one or two pairs – three Chinese pairs in the world the rest are not even close, makes it a bit uneven. I follow the other categories but my main focus is of course, men’s singles. Chau Yap: Have you ever played doubles at the start? Peter Gade: Yeah I won the world junior championships in – Chau Yap: World Junior Championship, oh ok. Peter Gade: I was world junior champion in double and I’ve played double a lot of times, I really enjoy it, I think it’s fun, it’s fast, attacking but the games has changed a lot the last five, eight years because of the serve being so high. Chau Yap: That’s right. Peter Gade: It’s such a big crucial factor it almost, determine everything else and that’s a shame. I would like to see the serve being taken out of the doubles game that would be good. But I like doubles; I think it’s really fun. Chau Yap: So right from the start, you played two disciples? Peter Gade: I played doubles and also played mixed doubles very early age and around, until eighteen, I played both men’s doubles and men’s singles, after that singles. Chau Yap: Ok, great. Which player are you closest to on the circuit? Peter Gade: Danish players? Chau Yap: Danish players, we start from the Danish players. Peter Gade: I have a good relationship towards some of the Carsten Morgensen and also the other single players Jan Jorgensen, I speak a lot with the others guys – some of the other guys. I’m a bit older now, I’m one of the older guys so, I like to have a good relationship with them when they’re traveling that much together, but I like to also have a bit of fun and that’s in a good way. I like to have variety; I like people to have a good sense of humor so things are not getting too serious. Sometimes, I am so serious about my game, I know some of the others are as well, but sometime we need to relax, we need to have some fun, we need to make some jokes and some of these guys are – I like to spend some time with them, having some fun. Besides that, my best friends are at home. ________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2012 © www.badminton-information.com 3 Chau Yap: Oh ok. Peter Gade: And on the other circuit, I have Wong Choong Hann is one of my very best friends. He’s a really good friend and I’ve always been friendly with him for many, many years and on occasions, I speak with the others, most of the Malaysians are very friendly and I have a good relationship towards them. Chau Yap: Ok, ok, great. What do you do in your spare time? Peter Gade: I am very committed to some of my interests beside Badminton and one of them is wine. I’m a wine collector and I’ve been doing this for the past eight years and gotten more and more serious. So, I have quite a valuable cellar now, I like to chase these bottles, I like to find the best price possible and I like to invest in them, see how the prices develop. Of course I like to drink them as well, but only occasionally. When I still play it’s not often I have the possibility. Sometimes I do tasting, I spit, I don’t drink, I only spit, but it’s a huge interest of mine and I like to follow that very closely. Music is another really big interest of mine; I play a little bit of guitar myself. I listen to a lot of music, if I have the possibility, I go to concerts as well, that’s two of mine and then the last one is maybe cooking. Chau Yap: Wow. Peter Gade: Which goes together with wine, I like to cook a lot. Food is a big interest of mine as well. I like to chase good restaurants, good food, not necessarily fine dining but sometimes the best raw, quality, food is what I go for, I like that very much. Chau Yap: Ok. Part 2 Chau Yap: Do you like Malaysian food? Peter Gade: The only thing I have eaten is the chicken curry, the Malaysian chicken curry, nasi lemak? Chau Yap: Nasi lemak, yeah. Peter Gade: Nasi lemak, I like that, beside that, it’s not that often I eat Malaysian food, I have to admit because the problem is, the restaurants here are so good, so you tend to go for European foods.