BADMINTON
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MONDAY, MAY 31, 1948.
SOME COMMENT AT THE END
OF A SEASON
TheMalayan VisitorsAnd Our Local Standards
By "Recorder"
over
as
The first post-war badminton scason is and all the champions for the year have acquired a new collection of silverware. The game is popular as ever locally, possibly even more than it was before the war, a fact well attested to by the 18-team roll in the Badminton League.
80
Despite the seven-year break brought on by the war and a period of readjustment after it, the new faces are still too few and it seems that, as with most local sports short of the big three-football, cricket and softball-the newcomers are shy of the veterans.
the Ann).
In
doctor
the
Wong had picked up his tactics earlier than the others, as had Robert Toy. from the semi-final
that saw laughterhouse Malayans romp home easy winners in the National Games tournament in Shanghol.
The "veterans", though many of them are not really too old, did relatively well by the championships conclud- ed inst Friday. However, the champions are all new.
Robert Tay riust be congratulated Another two minutes on the court, on winning the Senior Singles tllo | and, I strongly believe, queries. for the Arst time, defeating an ex- would have been put for a Colony Champion in
in the house. However, it was most unfortunate that the University first string, Low Kent Soo, sustained his foot injury that provedl a major handicap his semi-final encounter with Tay, He was the general favourite for the title and, though all credit 1s due Tay for winning the Champlon- ship. I am st! Inclined to rank Low as the season's No. 1 player.
Bather surprising. I thought, was Patrick Wong show in eliminating S. A. Vanar in the Senior Singles femi-final. Though on, early-season, who was beyond stepping back form I was inclined to rank Vanar As the Colony's No. 2, he fell off badly in that match and must be ranked behind Tay and Wong.
A
Patrick Wong found that there new tactica worked easily with Vanar, who is anything but a vol-
found they worked with Low Keat ying type of player. Robert Tay
for high returns and just let them e rather than risk upsetting his game thigh muscle.
can
1 am afraid that what is sadly lacking in badminton most
here is an understanding
the former
of
fact that be
on won hardest games
sheer courtercraft déveloped from studying round
the peculiarities of an opponent's of
play and presenting him with the type of return he lens! Ukes,
Of the Juniors, the year's promising was S. Soul, Shanghal player,
whose matchi came in the second when he eliminated A. Dayot Recreio 18-13, 17-14. He through the tournament without losing a game,
came
Other promising Juniors among the newcomers were K. S. Thong, T. H. Choo, who combined to manke one of the best pairs on the Junior Doubles.
AN ACQUISITION
Both entered Singles and Doubles as individual entries. Both were eliminated from the former by Reed- cd players and, In partnership, eliminated a seeded Junior Doubles pair to enter the semi-nal.
Their performance, when
W. C. Chung, the Junior Singles runner-up, Won a very creditable victory over a better player, KCC's A. L. Fisher, by persistent feeding of his indifferent backhand; and won easily after going down 2-15 in the Arst game.
Beyond that one display, I can- no! remember any other game In the tournament that wasn't won on stamina alone, ou fast pace, or on an opponent's off-colour mood.
further
Let us hope things will be different next season. Whatever eti-criticism could be added. It would minated by Soul and Gillies. wus be barely deserved for It was, after mediocre, but both were of form. all, the beginning of a new era for They should be a valuable nequisi- the sport in Hongkong. tlan to any Club next season.
A disappointment of the season was the lack of sufficient entries to
A JOB IN ITSELF
warrant the holding of a Ladies' Carrying on an 18-team
lengus Championship.
I think it would was a job in itself and here I cannot without giving due have been a sporting gesture from the pass further weaker players if they had entered credit to the man who
was largely running. David. Kwok at St. John's. the
Association's
Hon. Secretary
if only to make the holding of the responsible for the season's smooth
Championship possible. There are players enough in the Colony and we mny hope that they will come out of hiding next year.
PATRICK PLACES IT
Patrick Wong caught by the camera at a tense moment just as he was about to execute one of his famed drop shots. He was runner-up to Robert Tay for the Senior Singles Badminton Championship and runner-up also, in partnership with Charles Au, for the Senlor Doubles Championship. Photo by Ming Yuen.
PARIS TOURNEY
Pat Todd And Doris Hart
THE DON SEEKS A CHANGE IN LEG BEFORE RULE
London, May 30.-Don Bradman, bowlers Enemy No. 1, has started another cricket controversy by advocating in a speech at Lords a change in the leg before wicket rule to make it\apply to the ball turning from leg as well as from the off.
Under the present rule, a batsman is out only if the ball strikes his pads directly -in front of the wicket.
Bradman now wants the rule to apply to the log-break which, in, the opinion of the umpire, would have struck the wicket irrespective of the point of obstruction. Waltor Hammond, ✡ prolific, match of the tour, gets his chance Washbrook-in the England scorer in his time, agrees that some- at the age of 20.
side, thing-should be done to help
and four-Fishlock, Fagg, Robertson the long-suffering bowlers, but suggests
and Emmett-in the Rest Team.-- Northants Reuter. less-perfect wickets.
Godfrey youngest team. The
Victor Broderick, the left-arm apin bowler, and Evans, both 27, are the Frank Chester, England's, umire, members of either agrees with Bradman's suggestion, average age of the England alde is even if it does menn a little more approximately 324, while The Rest work for the umpire. "But I won-team averages just over 30. der why Bradman waited unill his
Just season in first-class cricket to Thic appointment of Freddie make the suggestion,' remarked Brown, the Surrey all-rounder, at Chester.
37, as captain of The Rest is a mort surprising move, and is probably an G. O. Allen, former England cap-Indication of the dearth of good tain and fast bowler, urges that amateur captains. Brown, who something should be done to even toured Australia way back in 1932 things up for the bowler, but does has played very little cricket since not advocate any immediate rule the war.. change. He thinks the ball should have a stronger seam to help the bowler make it do more work.
have
SELECTORS PLAY SAFE
England's cricket selectors apparently decided to play safe in searching for a team to meet Aus- tralis in the arst Test beginning at
on
With Norman Yardley, England's probable captain, also sadly out of form, the claims of Bill. Edrich aro again being advanced.
Judging from the number of bats- chosen, Uie, selectors have man
10 apparently resigned themselves Nottingham's "batsman's paradise" the view that the first Test, on
of a wicket, will be a batsman's malch.
Nottingham on June 10, The Test trint, beginning at Edgbaston June 2 consists mainly of the "old guard."
They have cast their net wide for Charles Palmer, the Worcestershirehunderbolts"
men who will have to face the of Lindwall and school-inaster. who "caned" the Miller. There are three opening Austrailan bowlers In the
opening batsmen Barnett, Hutton and
Australian Batting Averages
K R. Miller
D. G. Bradman
S. Barnes.
S.
J. Loxton
W. A. Brown
R. A. Saggers
A. L. Hassel
A. Morris
R. N. Harvey
Ian Johnson
R. A. Hamence
D. Tallon
D. Ring
R. Lindwall
W. A. Johnston
C. McCool
E. Toshack
Innings
No!
out Runs Highest Score Average
452
202.
113.00
་
873
107.
20.14
320
170
74,28
291
120
73.50
553
200
69.12
130
104*
00.00
209
110
44.83
346
138
30.33
195
70°
32.50
158
20
31.00
210
30.00
23.00
20
16.05
10,25
13.00
11.00
4.00
*Not Out. The Averages do not include the match now going on against Nottinghamshire.
Win Women's Doubles Derby Prize Will Be
DROBNY AND BERGELIN · TAKE
MEN'S DOUBLES TITLE
Paris, May 30.-Mrs Pat Todd and Miss Doris Hart, of America, won the women's doubles title in the French Jawn tennis championships which were 'continued at the Stade Roland Garros, here today.
D.
In the final they beat Miss Shirley Fry and Mrs Mary Prentiss, also both-of-America, by 6-4, 6-2%. who, it I am not mistaken, did not first set, Miss Fry and Mrs Prentiss Mitic (Yugo-Slavia) beat J. Sellrg
After a promising display in the
Men's singles, second round: miss a single match of the Cham- pionships and settled whatever little were unable to match the skill and (Belgium) 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1,--Reu- unpleasantness arose with consider-experience of Mrs Todd and Miss ter
able tact and good sense.
Miss Ulla Khoo was my early- season nomination as the Colony's No. 1 but I am now inclined to think that Miss Winnie Cheung is There was very little throughout better. A fine doubles player is in the way of poor sportsmanship Recreio's Mra Olga Silva and it and handshaker
of a at the end would have, been interesting to see match were warm enough, how she would have fared in the Singles.
A feature of a good deal of the
The exhibition at Club de Arcrela featuring the visiting Malaya cham- plons showed up our local standard
In closing, I will probably start considerable controversy on the subject by presenting my version
flart.
The spectators were far fewer for
today's doubles finals than for yes- erday's singles, but despite the threatening weather, there was an calimated crowd of 5,000.
the
BASEBALL
St Louis Loses Both Games Of
Doubleheader
The Richest Ever
London, May 30-One of the biggest Derby fields of all time will line up at Epsom on Saturday, June 5, in a bid to win Britain's richest Derby ever. This year's race, for which more than 30 horses may start, will be worth £13,000 to the winner.
Although this is-about-£1,000-less than the Gackwar of Baroda received when My Babu won this year's Two Thousand Guineas, the richest prize in British turf his-- tory, it is several hundreds more than the previous Derby record sum-won by Call Boy in 1927. The biggest Derby feld was in
lastest by his trainer, Fred Arm-
Pole Vault champion in 1936 and 1939, F. R. Web. ster has returned after # long spell in the East. Ho is the only British athlete who has done 13 feet-11⁄2 inches over that in the 1930 Olympic Games at Berlin, Looks like being Britain's best this year, although not yet on the list of "possibles."
SOCCER STARS COME HOME
London, May 30.-England's sixteen soccer stars just return. ed from the Continent, where they scored 15 goals to one and beat the might of Italy 4-0 in Turin, did a good job of work for their country for they show- ed that England is still supreme at soccer and that British ideals of sportsmanship ate as high as they have ever been. ・・・
They proved that the English- man's diet
cannot, generally, be held responsible for defeats on the field of sport, for in the gruelling heat in Turin it was the Italians, not the English, that faded frat under the hot sun.
to
No ambassador ever did better work for his country than these footballers, whose behaviour both on and off the field was exemplary, and credit
Britain. It can truthfully be said that no tour by any team of English sportsmen, er women.
did more to enhance the prestige of the Englishmen as foot- ballers and gentlemen.
credit should go But not all the cred to the Englishmen. Italy may have lost tho football match, but she won the esteem of all the English- men present. Italy's footballers and the vast crowd of soccer fans proved that
1862 when Caraciacus beat 33 rivals strong, that the colt is not a horse have learnt how to "play
and, more recently, 27 faced the starter in a war-time substitute Derby at Newmarket in 1945 when the race was won by .Dante. This year. 30 accepted at the final stage, but there are sure to be some with- drawals before' Derby day.
The size of the feld over this tricky course will inevitably mean that some horses are going to meet with interference during the race, and that Jockeys will have exercise all their skill and patience.
to
that requires much work and that no matter what the going is like, My Babu, with his perferct action, will to well.
the game" and to subdue the inner- ent excitable Latin temperament for which In previous international soccer matches with England they were notorious.
It must have been a really bitter The second favourle for the race blow to the Italians to be "humbled" Is Colonel Giles Loder's The Cobbler, before their own people to the ex- who will be ridden by the champion tent of 4-0 and yet no Italian lost Jockey, Gordon Richards,
is
Confidence behind this
colt growing daily and there are glowing reports about his home gallops,
Richards, who has won every
his temper, and the crowd showed sporting impartiality throughout.
THE SWISS MATCHES
Both matchts played in Swlizer- were in the nature of ex- hibitions, but the senior of the two,
Jaroslav Drobny, (Czecho- slovakia), and Lennart Bergelin, Doubles play that I did not (Sweden), won the men's doubles On the whole, standard of play appreciate came in the large number final by defeating Harry Hopman was not too high. The finals, how-of instances where one partner and Frank Sedgman (Australla) by .ever, werp more a war of nerves would give another a very unkind -6, -1, 12-10.
than badminton and were interior look at a bid fumble. It was amusing Drobny and Bergelin were In standard, I hold, to what was how often a leer of this nature superior combination in the men's -produced in some of the carlier- would be followed by a "Sorry, doubles final, but the Australian
round matches.
partner" within a minute.
pair put up a very gallant fight.
New York, May 30-In the Playing more aggressively, Hop National League, Pittsburgh man and Sedgman led 6-5 in the whittled the Cardinals' league the start to get well aff, the great except the Derby, is understood
One can visualiso their anxiety of race in the Calendar worth winning land Arst set, but their opponents then took two love games to capture it lead to a half game today as competition to reach the top of the be pretty conddent that, at long the match against a Swiss "B" team
The Australians had great dim- they dumped Saint Louis in hal in a handy position, and their fast, his chance will come and that showed that the Swiss have culty in trying to lob in the second both ends of a doubleheader, supreme determination to be well next Saturday afternoon
and with Bergelin and Drobny 9-3 and 7-6.
ho. will much to learn about the rules of placed at the final acute bend into achieve his cheished prabition. soccer. smashing brilliantly, they only
Some very harsh things The Pirates remained in third the straight, the famed Tattenham to win one game on Hop- managed
Corner. place, and a game behind second
There are some who my that The written about the Swiss players by Cobbler will not stay. They point the English football writers, who There was a great struggle for the place New York Giants. In the And when all these objects have to the fact that when My Babu beat watched the game and even Frank third set, and they were level at 10 opener the Pirates had four been achieved, the horse has got to him by a head in the Two Thousand Swift, the genial sporting English all, but then Drobny and Bergelin home runs, including two by lenges up the home straight to take and won because he finished more Swiss team publicly at a disner and
be good enough the resist all chal-Guineas, My Babu came from behind captain, felt it necessary broke Hopman's service and won
world's the last game to ve on Bergelin's right fielder Wally Westlake. the
for what it was. Some consolation was held out by the fact that the Malayans are considered likely win- ners of the Sir George Thomas Cup, Dadminton's equivalent of the Davie Cup, but that we have yet to see accomplished.
of how local players rank.
Here it lat
MEN
1. Low Keat Soo
2. Robert Tay
4. 8. A. Vanar
3. Patrick Wour
of
5.
the
W. F.
Foo
cx-
A former Shanghai player, with more than 20 years' experience the rame in Shanghal, where atan inrd before the war was ceptionally high, and in Europe and Canada, told me the other day that the Malayans did not stand an earthly chance Thomas
Cup
His premise
of winning tho
Is that the Malayans do not smash
for this statement
harder the smash, the harder
enough. In local badminton,
rebound.
6. P. K. Hul
7. T. S. Young
8. S. Baul
9. M. A. Oliveira
10. J. J. Remedios
LADIES
sel
man's service.
service for the match.
Hort (United States) and
4
game
most
thon At
atill
were
and
tell the
coveted turf Ralph Kiner's homer in the prize.
strongly. Over the extra half mile soccer is played with the feet and they believe that My Babu will beat not the hands. Mrs. Pat Todd (United States) and seventh of the second
It can honestly be said that the Jockeyship, is therefore, going to him more easily. Drobny (Czechoslovakia)
the won
Swiss played without malies mixed doubles title, beating Mias with Dixie Walker on base put be a vital factor and luck too may
The Cobbler's fans any he was they did not mean to hurt their play a more important port Frank the Pirates ahead to win.
short of a race, will appreciate the friendly rivals, but if Switzerland is Sedgman (Australia), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in Clint Hartung in his first start of usual in deciding the winner.
will turn the to take o high place In Inter- the season pitched New York to a the same time, there is an old racextra distance and
national football her playera must over The four players in the final of 10-4 victory
Philadelphia.g saying "the bigger the field, the tables next Saturday,
study the rules of the game and Firstbaseman
.Dick the mixed doubles showed signs of
Sister
bigger the certainty." and
Most people going to Epsom that play to them. second shortstop Eddie Miller accounted for tiredness in what, was the
But is there a certainty? Near-afternoon expect to see a great two-
There is no doubt that even t three of the Philadelphia runs.
some of the English writers were ly everyone at Newmarket, where horse duel between My Babu and final in one afternoon for, each of Centre fielder Bobby Thomson and the favourite, My Babu, in trained, The Cobbler, ridden by two of the over critical there was much, too Sedgman could Left fielder Whitey Lockman homer belleves that this French-bred colt best jockers in the world. The be- much, irresponsible play by the Miss Hart and never quite cops with the accurate ed for the GiantsAssociated Press, will repeat his Guineas victory for lief in generally that one or the other Swiss and two *English player
THE SCORES Asmashes from Drobny, who was the
the Gaekwar of Baroba, and his will win, although which is a subject might have been badly hurt by wild American League.
tackles. outstanding player on the court-
Jockey, Charlie Smirke, who rode of considerable discussion.
No small measure of blame is due Reuter.
RHE Windsor Lad and Mahmoud to vic-
should come The winner
from to weak refereeing. Most Con- 1tory for two Indian princes, is said
My Babu, The Cobbler or Valognes.tinental referees allow playera to 461 to be confident that he will scorea That is the first three in the present get away with fouls which, even
third success.
backing. Tory and Hope Street may quite prove the best outsiders-Router.
1. Miss Winnie Cheung.
the final.
2. Miss Ulian Khoo.
the
3. Mirs Olga Silva.
the
4. Miss Mylthie Skva.
5. Miss M. Ribeiro.
MEN'S PAIRINGS
However, he suggested, lel a 6-foot 3-inch Dane bring his racquet down on the shuttle and
the rebound will be from the floor.
A CURIOSITY
1. Low Keat 'Soo and 8. Vanar,
2. Patrick Wong and Charles Au. 3. Robert Tay and K. Kul.
4. 8. Saut and Vy, Gillies,
5. T. S. Young and W. F. Foo.
...MIXED PAIRINGS
It was curious watching the re- Action of our local
to tho stors Malayan exhibition. They dropped smashing from their siroke ·re- pertoire like they would a hot cont and it was rather puzzling, especial- ly to people who couldn't quite understand how it all come about, that they would try again and again' to further test an opponent's stamina Cheung. rather than trent a sitter as they should that is, smash it without silva.
mercy.
1. Robert Tay and Miss Winnie
them.
Cleveland. BELGIAN TOURNEY
Chicago Brussels, May 30The Belgian lawn tennis championships began Boston today on the courts of the Brussels Washington. Royal Leopold Club.
Detroit Only a few matches were played St Louis and the results were:
Women's
Arst round --- ringles,
New York Madame Paqust (France) walkover Philadelphia *from Madame Belgi (Italy);
Kusmesazy
2. J. J. Remedios and Mrs Olga Madame
3. M. A. Oliveira and MILAR
This was particularly true of the Mylthie Silva Robet Tay-Patrick Wong final on Friday whon, with the second game 4. T. 8. Young and Miles Ullan bagely over, both were so short of Khoo. wind chnalng one, another around
that
their Kome was nothing short of a survival of the Attest.
(Hungary) Chicago beat Madame Ruya (Belgium) 6-0; Cincinnati 0-0. Mile Kermsens (Holland) beat
Chicago Madama de Bary (Dolgļum) 60-4: Cincinnati 3-8, 9-7.
E
1 5 0
.8 12 D
MY DABU STILL FAVOURED
0 15 1
4 12 1
This view is shared by most pun- (11 Innings)ters and My Babu zeema sure
to
3 estart favourite. But there are those o who feel that the fact that My
Babu's training had
to be later-
with for two weeks may ad-
BRITISH OLYMPIC
TEAM
London, May 30.The British
foreaffect his chances, and that Olympic athletic team will probably
thing,
1
3
National League
1 £ 1
+ 0 1 3 10
he
4 0 4 10 14 0
0 0 9 1
Men's singles, first round: M. Philadelphia Sello (Italy) beat Van de Wiele New York (Belgium) 6-8, 0-2, 0-8, 6-3, 6-1; G. St Louis 5. Patrick Wong and Miss M. Cucelli (Italy) bent R. Evenlenko Pittsburgh Hibeiro.
(Belgium) 0-1, 0-0, 6-3,
not
"good
on July 7, a fow
un-
must bo unintentional. penalised for the ultimate good of the players themselves.
In Switzerland the skill is doubtedly there and the sportsman- know. ship alco is there, but the ledge of the rules of the game ap pears stil to be very rudimentary..
Router.
.
+
SPAIN BEATS IRELAND De the supposed
Barcelona, May 30--Spain, beat 100 should turn soft, for the colt is on
especially if the going be announced
days after the amateur champton- | Ireland by two goals to one In the ships on July 2 and 9 which will fifth international soccer match bo' the small sldo and there are doubts
selectween the two countries hero today. about his stamina. In the minds of form the basis of the final
tlons.. some experts.
However, those who fancy United Press. Babu can take comfort from
My The women's team will bo the nounced on July 4-Router.
At halftime the score was one-all. Each country has now won two an-matches, while one has been drawn
-Reuter