Player Experience: Isaac Chow & Aaron Rajit

BAV member and student, Isaac Chow competed in his first graded tournament together with Aaron Rajit last weekend. The pair played C Graded men's doubles on Sunday April 6th going home with a win in their round robin pool which is AMAZING for a first timer. Read their thoughts below:

Isaac Chow

My first singles tournament was pretty rough. I got destroyed and my lack of skills and inexperience really got thrown at me. While I was told that this tournament was going to be a hard one, I wasn't sure how hard or how big the skill gap was going to be. It became apparent that even all my basics needed work. I think it messed up my mental game a bit, also didn't help that I was late and didn't get to warm up. Overall, it was a good experience and I learnt a lot about how I and the other people play. Everyone was nice and I left motivated to start training again seriously.

The doubles on the next day was different though. I thought it would be much harder than the singles due to doubles being played at a faster pace and that my doubles game can be a bit iffy. To my surprise, it was less difficult and more enjoyable than the singles matches. This is when I realised how important actually warming up is and how much easier the game becomes, especially when playing with someone I know. It was really helpful to have a team mate. In the singles matches, I was just fighting to survive, while in my doubles, I could see myself winning (I won my first match!) as my opposition were easier to play against. At the end of the day, I wanted to play more.

Aaron Rajit

When I arrived at the venue about an hour before my match, I was nervous. This was my first tournament in over five years. As more people arrived, the courts grew lively - people were warming up, meeting friends and on the court. While the tournament was fierce competition, it was also a hub for badminton players from all over Melbourne to come together and play.

There was a large range of skill level, from semi-pro players to players like me and Isaac. We were two eager amateurs, stumbling around on the court, playing against other C Grade competitors. After our first game, we walked around the venue, watching matches and umpiring. We entertained ourselves for two hours until our next match finally began. We were defeated handily by a pair of 10-year-olds from PBA club.

My time competing was short, so most of my time was spent watching others. I was enjoyed by the sound of the sneaking shoes, shuttlecocks rocketing back and forth, the smell of rubber on the polished courts and the players flying up and down on the court. I watched them, admiring their powerful movements, observing how their feet shifted under the shuttle and their head cocked up as they swung their racquets. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the excitement and tension in the air, the muffled chatter of family and competitors. I enjoyed the sound of the sneakers and the crack of the racquet on the shuttle. I watched the confident competitors earning points, players enduring the onslaught of their opponents and their racquets swinging sweetly onto the shuttle.

Though my time playing was short, the badminton competition had a lasting impact on me. It was a place where myself and many others could learn from each other and come together to celebrate our mutual love of badminton.