BIGGER OPPORTUNITY

When you were a kid, are you a spoiled brat? Back when I was a kid, I want to have everything. I want these, I want that. As in everything. But I didn’t get them because my mom said that I don’t need those. We just buy what we need. So for that, I didn’t enjoy my childhood days.

When I was looking for something to read I saw this article http://www.bwfbadminton.org/news_item.aspx?id=67569. It tells about Yonex extending their sponsorship for another four years to badminton Europe. When I read about this, I was amazed because it’s a huge offer for Badminton Europe because they were partners with Yonex for a very long time eight years to be exact according to the article.

Badminton Europe President, Poul-Erik Høyer, said the sports organisation is very happy to solidify their association with Yonex; a market leader and known for high-quality badminton equipment and clothing.

Yonex is well known all around equipment in sports especially in badminton. Yonex decided to continue their partnership with because Badminton Europe as the company wants to be an active partner in developing badminton in Europe.

BIGGEST GIFT OF THE DAY

Have you ever thought that when you grow up you want to be like this and like that back when we were kids? A while ago, I remembered that I want to become a pilot one day because I idolized my dad. And then as we grow up, we realized that what we wanted when we were kids will not always end up in the end. I want to be a pilot back then but now I want to be a chef but it ended up as an accountancy student then shifted to marketing. It’s rough I know but the fact that what we are right now is important than looking back at the past.

When I was getting older, I wanted to be a badminton player and I did. But thing is that I broke my left arm so I trained my right arm so that I can still play.

While I was looking for updates about what is happening in the world of badminton, I saw this article http://www.bwfbadminton.org/news_item.aspx?id=67568. I was surprised because it was actually Lee Chong Wei’s birthday! I’m so happy for him because he is one of my idols and he even got the Championship in Denmark Open. That’s really good news.  I want to greet him Happy Birthday in personal but that’s way too impossible.

According to the article, Lee was given a hard fight by Du Pengyu. The Chinese world No. 9 fought every inch of the way, and kept the pressure on the world No. 1 from the first point. Lee found himself a game adrift, but he regained control of the second in characteristic style – smashing from the deep and quickly moving up to cut off returns. The game was won with relative ease, and Lee must have expected Pengyu to fold quickly in the third.

I really don’t know who Du Pengyu is but after reading about this I was amazed because he fought hard against the number 1 player Lee Chong Wei. He didn’t give Lee Chong Wei the medal that easily.

“It was a tough match, and I feel very tired,” said Lee. “Today’s my birthday, so I’m happy I won. I did not rest after the Olympics, but I managed to find the strength within me to win the title.”

Now that’s a champion in heart and in soul.

INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1- FINAL DRAFT

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Badminton is one of the greatest sports in the world. People who have the passion to play badminton and train hard for it had lots of experiences when it comes to badminton. Experience is a good teacher from a beginner to a hardworking player through good times and bad. But even so, people still played this sport because badminton is the kind of sport that you will be in love with. 

Badminton is a sport that anyone can play. It is also a team sport as well as recreational activity for families and friends to share with. A person who has the potential to play can achieve their potential to become stronger and might as well as make the sport a career. An average person can play badminton as long as he has a budget, gum sole shoes, racket and a friend or family to play with. It can make people get fit and have fun at the same time. If enthusiasts have the potential of getting more than being fit and have fun, they can have a coach and a trainer as well to become strong and play in the tournament so that they can understand how strong or how they can improve as much as maximum potential of the person.

Here in the Philippines, basketball is the most popular sport. Everywhere people go, there is a basketball court. Everybody here in the Philippines loves basketball that much. All of them perhaps are addicted to the sport because of the excitement of the sport and cool finishes like dunks and insane dribbling. As basketball became more and more popular here in the Philippines as time goes by and people here idolize the great Michael Jordan also known as “MJ”. (http://suite101.com/article/a-brief-history-of-philippine-basketball-a349662)

Although Badminton and Basketball are both different sport, there are certain kinds of aspects that both have. One of which is its game play and the hardships of the players to compete with confidence. Research indicates that basketball is more popular than badminton here in the Philippines. However, badminton is a slow improving sport in the Philippines. Not everyone plays badminton but people who plays badminton can say that badminton can be popular as basketball as a sport.

 There are certain criteria that basketball has like the term “All-Stars”,”Super Stars” and “MVP”. Basketball is more on a physical so in a game they can perform a unique and exciting finish. Just like in basketball, badminton has its own unique and explosive finish to score a point. Perfect jump smashes, accurate drops and devastating back-hands. 

The purpose of this paper is to present new knowledge that would allow badminton to be as popular in the Philippines.

B. Statement of the Problem

• What can badminton do as a sport to make it popular as basketball?

C. Significance of the Study  

Televesion Shows. This research paper would give benefit to television shows that portray badminton games. They would probably have another opportunity to showcase their television show to people who are enthusiasts in badminton.

Badminton Coaches and Trainers. This would allow badminton coaches and trainers to have more people that are interested to learn and to play the sport. This would help them to have more profit and have many opportunities.

Badminton Organization. This research paper would allow badminton organizations to have more opportunity to be known and to have more enthusiasts to play badminton. This would help them to have more opportunities because people will know about badminton more.

D. Scope and Delimitation

This study will focus on badminton and basketball specifically on what can badminton do as a sport to make it popular as basketball.

This study will focus more in the Philippines since basketball is the most popular sport here in the Philippines.

E. Materials and Methods

This study will use research since the researcher aims to research about badminton and basketball individually. Also, the study will also use interview and survey in order to have additional information regarding the said sports.

 Information relevant to the study was gathered from various reference materials such as web sites, articles, surveys and interview.

F. Definition of Terms

Lay-Up-A lay-up in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in basketball. When doing a layup, the player lifts the outside foot, or the foot away from the basket.

Fast Breaks- is an offensive strategy in sports. In a fast break, the offense outnumbers the defense on a drive to score. There are various styles of the fast break and the fast break attack is the best method of providing action and quick scores .

Dunk- A type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball .downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim.

Smash- A powerful overhead shot

Backhand- A stroke made on the side of the body opposite the racket side.

Drop- A shot that just clears the net and then drops sharply.

Lob- A shot that is hit in a high arc, usually over the opponent's head.

Shocking

Nobody is perfect when it comes to life. Life is a challenge. Everything around us is a challenge that is given by God in our daily life. Why does he give this challenges? Is it because that he wants us to know the fact that we can do it on our own. And we know that we can have it all but that's impossible. Every time I need hi,, He is always there. When it times of trouble he carries us and more importantly, he knows that we can conquer all the challenges in life that he gives us.

As I was surfing the net, I saw this article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/sports/olympics/21iht-oly21.html?ref=badminton. I was really moved because this player is fighting for his country not knowingly that he needs to fight for his life too. It was really devastating because Petr Koukal is on his top state where he can really compete for the top.

According to the article, Koukal, 26, who was also a 2008 Olympian, was rapidly climbing toward the upper echelon of his sport in the fall of 2010, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Just three days before his Sept. 15 diagnosis, he had reached the semifinal of the Bitburger Open in Saarbrücken, Germany, his best showing at a major international competition.

Petr Koukal said “It’s been more than one and a half years now, since I started my treatments", following a practice at his local training facility just outside the city center of Prague. “At the moment when I felt like I was playing my best, competing against and starting to beat the top players in the world, I got this cancer diagnosed. In just a few minutes everything changed.

As I read this, I was depressed and sad. I felt really bad and sorry for him because he really wants to play to be on top in order for him to give his mother country glory. Thank God that he recovered quickly after the surgery and then he trained hard in order for him to get back on the road were he wants to go. As a fellow badminton player I salute Petr Koukal for his toughness and valor for the sport and also for his country.

FATE

Have you ever wonder why does everything we do, if feels like we knew it from the very first start? As in like a dejavu or something that really bugs you in your head? Well, I felt it long long ago. The first time I played badminton I thought that I can make it to the top and I did although it's not that long because of the accident I said from my previous article way way back. And here I am, still playing and I know that I play even though that it was tough for me to do it, I still played because it's fate.

As I was looking something about fate, I remembered about my previous school-- Colegeio de San Juan de Letran fighting the San Beda College in the basketball game in the NCAA. I saw this article http://www.philstar.com/sportsarticle.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=69&articleid=860740&keyword=sp_pba about Letran being in the final four seat against San Beda Red Lions. Is it fate that this two will fight against each other? Yes! In the previous years, the Knights fought hard to overcome trials and is hungry for a title while San Beda Red Lions fight hard to become one of the best teams there is.

Coach Alas said, "We’ve been through a lot and defied the odds. Who would have thought after we went 4-5 (win-loss) we still managed to end up in the Final Four and now in the finals. Whose charges overcame the Stags’ twice-to-beat edge with 92-76 and 73-70 victories last week.

“That’s probably destiny, we’ll see,” Alas said.

According to the article, San Beda is also trying to become the first team to accomplish a three-peat thrice. The Knights scored a pair in the 1931-34 and 1982-84 seasons with the Lions matching it in 1934-37 and 2006-08. From the said article I thought that way way back, The Knights and the Red Lions were already fighting there ass off to destroy each other in other for each team have the glory to be the number one.

As a fellow Knight, I think that Letran can win this championship because we train and fought hard although we rode in bulky and tough rodes to overcome the problem that we face in the sport itself and as a team. All they need to do is to train well, fight hard and play harder to defeat their arch nemesis-- the San Beda Red Lions