Pinay shuttler wows Europe

Pinay shuttler wows Europe

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Karyn Cecilia Velez can certainly add to her badminton storybook her recent trip to Europe where she failed to vanquish the shuttlebugs but succeeded in conquering new friendships and gaining more experience outside her habitual domain.

She also found out that her favorite sport is still not a "big thing" in Europe as it is now in Asia.

The 18-year-old, who is the Philippines’ top junior badminton player, competed in the Dutch Junior 2008 Badminton in Haarlem, Netherlands, held February 29-March 2 and then proceeded to Bottrop, Germany for the German Junior 2008 tournament held from March 6-9.

In the Netherlands, Velez made an impression as she disappointed the Dutch fans when she ousted their second seeded Yik Man Wong during her first ever match on European soil.

Velez beat Yik in two straight sets (21-14 21-19) and breezed her way to the quarter finals, defeating first Franziska Burkert of Germany, 21-16, 21-6 and Munn-Tzin Bong of England, 21-13, 15-21, 21-12.

Her quarterfinals was tough as she faced a top player from Hong Kong, losing out in two straight sets, 25-27, 11-21.

In Germany, Velez regained her composure as she reached the Round of 6, whipping her non-Asian opponents Zdenka Svedova of the Czech Republic, 21-10, 21-8; Roxanne Fraser of Canada, 21-18, 21-11 and Selina Weinzettel of Germany, 14-21, 21-15, 21-14. She, however, had to yield to Malaysia’s topgun Vivian Kah Mun Hoo, 19-21, 12-21.

In a telephone interview while she and her family were waiting at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for their flight to Manila, Velez’s father told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau that this trip is part of the preparations for her to possibly compete in the London championship in 2010.

"It is part of our planning to give her exposure at different levels of the game," her father, Jose Fernando (Jofer), said.

Being first-timers in Europe, Jofer who is more than a manager and mentor, observed that in this part of the continent, badminton is a sport that’s very much behind.

"If you track records back thirty years up to now, in world badminton the Asians dominated and continue to dominate. Denmark is probably the exception in terms of any particular country team that is challenging," Jofer said.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=112087