Singapore shuttlers finish with five titles at youth tournament

Contributed by Timothy Chan. Photos by REDinterns Thomas Tan and Tan Jon Han.

Singapore shuttler Xiao Yu Liang (black) lining up with Thai Shuttler Piyathida Khiaorotphai before the Girl’s Under 15 Singles Final. (Photo 1 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Yio Chu Kang Stadium, Sunday, December 20, 2009 – Few hundred quiet-watching fans. 378 young and energetic players. 9 participating countries from Asia. 20 titles to be won. This was the scenario of the Li-Ning Youth International Tournament 2009, held in Yio Chu Kang (YCK) Sports Hall from 14 to 20 December.

The Singapore Youth International ,which started in 2004, is an age-group event where the players pit their skills against peers in the same age categories from around the world. The categories are U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19 Boys/Girls Singles/Doubles.

This S$9,200 prize-money event, organized by the Singapore Badminton Association had 140 players from Singapore and 238 foreign players from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Hongkong, India and Sri Lanka contested in the preliminary rounds till the semifinals.

After six solid days of intense competition, finally the finals on 20 Dec 2009 arrived and all the 40 finalists arrived at YCK Sports Hall on that Sunday afternoon to battle one another for the coveted 10 gold medals to be captured.

Singapore’s young shuttlers entered eight finals and won five titles.

Here's the picture story of some of the exciting final matches played on December 20.

Liang Xiao Yu got Singapore to a flying start at the finals, when she won the Under-15 Girls title, beating Piyathida Khiaorotphai of Thailand. (Photo 2 © Thomas Tan/Red Sports)

Yu Liang reaching to retrieve a drop shot. (Photo 3 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Yu Liang maintaining her focus during an interval as her coaches review her gameplay. (Photo 4 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

The Singapore shuttler misjudging the shot as it falls in. (Photo 5 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Yu Liang at full stretch to return the shot as her coaches look on. (Photo 6 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

The Singapore supporters cheer as Yu Liang wins another point. (Photo 7 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

The stern look on Yu Liang’s face finally subsides as she celebrates her victory over Khiaorotphai. (Photo 8 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Yu Liang, the Girl’s Under 15 Singles champion with her winner’s medal. (Photo 9 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Robin Gonansa, the top seed, made it 2-up for Singapore after he confidently emulated the triumphant Liang Xiao Yu by dismissing another Thai player, Prinawat Thongnuam at a score of 21-19, 21-16, to bring home the Under-19 title. Robin had actually lost to Prinawat in the first round in last year Asian Satellite tourney in Singapore. (Photo 10 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

One of the many jump smashes executed by Gonansa during the match. (Photo 11 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Thongnuam tries to move Gonansa around the court to tire him, but Gonansa is more than up to the task. (Photo 12 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Gonansa constantly on the attack, delivering powerful and accurate smashes against his opponent. (Photo 13 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)

Capturing the third title for Singapore is Alverino Ricky & Alexander Yoshiko, the Boys Under-15 Doubles champions. They beat Rizky Aulia & Agung Marwanto of Indonesia 21-14, 21-10. (Photo 16 © Thomas Tan/Red Sports)

Alexander Yoshiko (SIN) parries an attack in the Boys Doubles (Under-15) final with teammate Ricky Alverino. (Photo 17 © Thomas Tan/Red Sports)

Rizky Aulia and Agung Marwanto (INA) listen intently to feedback from their trainer during a 2 minute break. (Photo 18 © Thomas Tan/Red Sports)

Singapore suffered the first defeat when Jiang Ming Xi lost to Adulrach Namkul of Indonesia in the Bous Under-15 Singles. Score was 12-21, 19-21. (Photo 19 © Thomas Tan/Red Sports)

If there is a MVP award, it has to go to this little boy, Mark Shelly Alcala from Philippines, an ADHD kid who won the Boys Under-11 Singles when he beat his "buddy" Auliansyah Ali of Indonesia in two straight games, 21-19, 21-16 in just 25 minutes. (Photo 20 © Thomas Tan/Red Sports)