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CANADA: ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE SKYDOME
** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by
YANG YANG Badminton Products and
their Western USA agents BADMINTON ALLEY.
**
February 12, 1999 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - For badminton enthusiasts in the
central and southern parts of the province of Ontario in Canada and perhaps
in western New York and eastern Michigan, all roads this weekend lead to the
Skydome in Toronto. The 50,000-seat domed sports arena, home to the twice
World Series champion Toronto Bluejays major league baseball team, is playing
host for today and the next two days to a badminton spectacular, the likes of
which the sport has not seen in the two Americas, and even perhaps the western
half of the world.
From Friday to Sunday - February 12 to 14, the under-21 national teams of
Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States of America will be competing
against each other for the Friendship Cup. The Canadians and the Americans
will also be vying with each other for the Devlin Cup and the distinction of
being the best under-21 badminton team in North America.
The competition for the two cups runs from 7 to 10 on Friday and Saturday
evenings and 5 to 8 on Sunday evening, with the teams playing in a round-robin
format. Each team match will consist of seven individual matches: two men's
singles, a men's doubles, two women's singles, a women's doubles, and a mixed
doubles. The team that wins at least four of the individual matches wins the
team match.
Canada has been the top dog in Devlin Cup play for many years, but, according
to sources familiar with the players, the American side is quite strong this
time around and could take the Devlin Cup away from the Canadians.
A Legends exhibition match will precede the team competition on each of the
three days. The exhibition, which is slated to start at 6 in the evening on
Friday and Saturday and at 4 on Sunday afternoon, will star Olympic silver
medalist Ardy Wiranata of the United States of America. Wiranata, formerly of
Indonesia, is now the playing coach of the senior American squad. He will be
trading smashes with Kevin Han, the reigning Pan-American and U.S.A. men's
singles champion.
A fanfest similiar to those found at the top-tier National Badminton
Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball All-Star weekends also forms part
of the badminton spectacular. Badminton clinics, equipment demonstrations, and
interclub challenge matches will precede the evening action. The clinics and
equipment demonstrations will start at 10 in the morning and run to 2 in the
afternoon on Friday and Saturday. The challenge events will then take place
and finish at 6 in the evening, followed by the Wiranata-Han matches.
On Sunday, the challenge matches will begin at 12 noon.
Also taking place at the Skydome this weekend is an Asian festival celebrating
the Chinese New Year. Dragon dances, Chinese acrobats, Oriental arts and craft
exhibits, and Oriental cuisine are among those that are on tap at the Skydome.
The badminton extravaganza is a major part of the Asian festival.
Admission to the Asian festival is 10 Canadian dollars. More than 200,000
people are expected to visit the Skydome, celebrate the Chinese New Year, and
watch all or part of the badminton action over the three days of the festival.
(mc/ds)
COPYRIGHT 1999 © YANG YANG BADMINTON EQUIPMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Posted With The Permission Of The Copyright Holder.
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