Badminton Tournament

There was a courtyard flanked by the four houses where I grew up as a kid. It is still there but not utlilised now. It was a perfect place to spend our free time. There would be games like badminton, football, hop scotch and traditional games like ‘galah panjang’, marbles, two-stick game and of course hide and seek.

The Thomas Cup and the Uber Cup Competitions ignited the interest and spirit in all of us. During the season, we would also play badminton from morning till evening in the courtyard. We also held mini competitions; both singles and doubles. The live matches on TV and the discussions managed to teach us all the rules and regulations regarding the game. We also learned many tactics and even the names of the famous players like Tan Aik Huang, Eddy Choong, Rudy Hartono, and many others.

We played with cheap wooden racquets, poor quality shuttlecocks, and bare footed on the so called courtyard cum badminton court. The court was measured according to the standard dimension but it was perfect for us. We drew lines with sticks and to keep them visible we poured water to keep them wet. After every game we took turns to pour water onto the lines by using a kettle.

As for a net, we used a fishing net strung across the centre of the court and the ends were tied to the walls of the two houses. The height of the net was according to the standard height.

Our racquets were heavy but we enjoyed the games with all our wits and were quite good at the game too. I remember getting three wooden racquets that came with bottles of Chinese wine as gifts. My father had bought them during the Chinese New Year; and the racquets came in very handy.

Our teams made up of boys and girls and we even had mixed doubles. Points were awarded according to the rules and regulations of the game.

The best and most memorable incidences of the game were the instances when I smashed the shuttlecock onto the forehead or chest of the opponents. I had this uncanny ability to send the shuttlecocks at these two points. Of course the opponents could not return these shots. I was rather quick and even feared by the opponents when I smashed.

A shuttle cock cost 40 cents then. It was considered expensive but we chipped in during each session. Each contributed 5 cents and we bought three or four of them. They lasted the whole session. Nobody opposed and we contributed with eagerness. If the shuttlecocks could be used again, we kept them for the next day.

I am glad to have such neighbours and we practically enjoyed our childhood.