We have not finalized the date and time of the tryouts, but they will be held the week of September 13.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

4. Most memorable badminton experience?
At Penn, the best badminton experiences all happened off the court – overtaking half the tables at Koreana, watching 2am movies in Huntsman, running around Philly, hearing stories about Bento boxes for the homeless… oh nostalgia! Outside of Penn, the badminton camp I went to this summer in China was really memorable as well. Over a month-long period of training five hours a day, six days a week, I made wonderful friends, received coaching from amazing coaches, played against (and often lost to) members of China’s #1 provincial team, and sweat like a pig (I didn’t even know pigs could sweat that much) in a/c-free gyms. Awesome indeed.

5. Most ingenious money-making scheme?
Buying and selling textbooks online. In college I often bought a number of books from really cheap sources, used them for a semester, and resold them in like-new condition for higher prices. I think I made over $1000 in profits. Actually, it wasn’t that ingenious… it just had really high returns for the minimal amount of work I put in.

7. Would you rather have a super smash or tremendous endurance?
A super smash (haha isn’t that a video game?) sounds enticing, but without endurance it would have only a limited effect. I don’t think it helps to have one strong smash and then be too tired to smash again. I’d prefer tremendous endurance.

9. What advice would you give to our new and returning players for the new season?
Unbeknownst to many, the “play” in Penn’s motto “Work hard, play hard” actually refers to badminton. So go to practice – it’s a nice way to let loose, even on a Friday evening when there may seem to be more attractive alternatives. And if you’re serious about getting better, discipline yourself to do drills instead of settling for games all the time. To the new players – sorry I won’t be there to cheer you on, but welcome to a fantastic community of amazing people and lifelong friends!

10. How do you think badminton in the UK will compare to here in the US?
I hear badminton is stronger across the pond. It certainly has a longer history over there. I’ll get back to you on this in a couple months.

13. If you can be any animal (ponies, dolphins, and unicorns excluded), what would you be?
A panda. They get an enormous, custom-made cake for their birthday (at least at the zoo – http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/gallery/Features/Birthday-Cake-for-Tai-Shan/2082/), and they’re loved by lots of people. (But why you gotta hate on the dolphins?)

14. If everyone here donated money to build new badminton courts at Penn, where on campus would you like the new courts to be built and why?
The field next to Rodin would be nice. It would shorten my 15-minute walk to Hutch (25 minutes post-practice) to a 2-minute one, which is especially attractive in the winter. The same goes for most upperclassmen. Also, since so many students live in the high rises, we’ll get greater visibility and more people will come check out the team. And by the way, “everyone here” should have special emphasis on Wharton/Engineering (*cough* Wall Street) people. College kids are poor because we’re out to save the world.

15. What’s your favorite badminton snack/food?
Bananas, apples, and granola bars = best tournament food, hands down. As for post-tournament celebration, nothing beats a scrumptious team dinner.

16. What happened to questions 1, 3, 6, 8, 11, and 12?
They were lame…

Author’s note: Question 16 was written and answered by Clara. Oh Clara…

2. Why did you start playing badminton?
Initially, my older sister dragged me to badminton camp because she wanted to try out for the high school team. Reluctantly, I went with her. I thought it was stupid to do footwork and racquet swings all day, but I grew to love the sport after a few months.

3. Who’s your favorite player?
Devi!!!! cuz she’s so tiny but has so much energy.

4. What is the most memorable experience you have had throughout your numerous years on the Penn Badminton Club?
Meeting and bonding with all the awesome people on the team was one of the best parts of my Penn experience. I love all of you!!! Cooking 9 course meals and staying up until 4am was great.

5. Will you be donating money to our club in the future?
Sure, we’ll probably have to wait a decade or two until I have a real job and start making money. It’ll be easier trying to extract money from the investment banker and consultant alumni

6. So what’s your plan for the next ten years?
I’ll probably be in med school and residency.

7. What would you say to those who are considering doing a PhD/MD program like you will be doing?
It’s pretty awesome so far… but what do I know, I just started a month ago. It’s definitely a long haul, so choose your school wisely, and make sure they have a badminton club!

8. What’s worse: giving up badminton for the rest of your life or giving up chocolate?
This is an awful question… I’d probably just rather die.

9. Where’s Waldo?
In Peter Thai’s bathroom.

10. Any parting advice for the underclassmen?
Train hard! Even though footwork and conditioning are not the funnest, it all pays off when you bring home the trophies Most importantly, have fun and bond with your teammates!

Practice has officially been over for three weeks now but you are strongly encouraged to keep on playing this summer, wherever you may be. The courts in Hutchinson Gym will be refinished this summer in preparation for the fall semester.

We will be holding tryouts in September (the date is yet to be determined). For you newcomers, send an email to Jimmy (presidentpennbadminton.com) to be placed on the tryout listserv. We will notify you of any open play sessions as well as the tryout details.

Tryout information will be posted on this website in late August or early September.

Have a safe and fun summer!

Congratulations all around and thanks to everyone who came to vote!

Pictures from the club lunch and election can be seen here.

2. How long have you been playing?
Elementary school through middle school. Did squash in high school because they sadly didn’t have a badminton club.

3. Who’s your favorite player?
SUPER DANNNNN!

4. If a genie granted you three wishes on the condition that each is about badminton, what would you wish for?
That my legs would move, that my legs would move quicker, and that I’d actually get to the ball…

5. Describe teammate Sofia Liou in five words or less.
Sofia is bubbly and smiley!

6. Now, do you typically put a hand to your hips in between rallies?
Yes, definitely.

7. Funniest badminton story?
First ever badminton match in Hong Kong – lucky enough to play the first seed, got finished in less than 5 minutes. The girl later became my badminton teammate in middle school! Good thing she did not remember me.

8. Have you ever broken a bone?
No, and not hoping nor planning to…

9. What do you see yourself doing in four years?
Graduating from Penn and working back home

10. Will you be buying an iPad?
No wayyyy

There you have it folks. Nominate the next featured player by sending an email to featuredplayerpennbadminton.com

Devi Kasih & Sandra Jacob – Women’s Doubles B Winners
Devi Kasih & Jimmy Lin – Mixed Doubles B Winners
Clara Ng & Daphne Ng – Women’s Doubles C Winners
Felix Lim & Jason Tabalujan – Men’s Doubles C Runner-Ups
Mindy Lee – Women’s Doubles C Runner-Up

Photos from the tournament can be found here.

We will be trying something new for the remainder of the semester, with the hopes of continuing it in future years as well. Roughly every week, the exec board will vote on a player to feature on our website. There’s no particular requirement to be eligible, we’ll simply choose someone more or less at random and eventually we hope to make it through everyone.

First up, we have Perk Lim, an engineering freshman from Singapore.

1. When did you first start playing badminton?
Maybe when I was seven or eight. I only remembered the net was taller than me back then. I could never smash back then.

2. Why did you choose to play badminton?
I always imagine badminton as a form of martial art or gongfu that people channel their energy in the form of a shuttle. Haha, I love long rallies of attacking and defending and hopefully one day I can be 1% like them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2k-tsX5KE

3. Who’s your favorite badminton player?
I don’t follow who is playing in the professional series so my favorite badminton player was my ex-coach Mr Lee. He taught me how to hold a racket correctly, move with proper footwork and play tactfully. He made me realize that badminton is not all about smashing the shuttle hard but all about placing the shuttle which makes the game more challenging. Everyone has the strength to hit hard but not everyone can control the shuttle well and he was able to do it even when he is 60. That’s what I call skill!

4. What’s your favorite badminton shot?
I like using the backhand to push the shuttle when it comes at the left corner. You can either push it to the far right corner of your opponent, cross it or if the shuttle is high enough, tap it down. 3 ways to go for the shuttle.

5. What is your motto?
Never waste your calories on yucky food!

6. What’s the plan for the next four years?
Play more badminton! Learn as much as I can in college! Maybe start my own company

7. If there’s one thing we should all know about you, it would be…
From Qn 5, you should have guessed I am a self-confessed foodie! I am always looking out for good places to eat.
Perk’s Makan Session! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=189702750792

8. Describe fellow teammate Sanket Gandhi in five words or less.
Younger than me! Haha!

9. As an engineer, does it bother you that you are only being asked nine questions?
No, it makes perfect sense since the last digit in the decimal system is 9. Now, did I miss out question 0?

Be sure to check out the pictures here.