The U13 Boys’ Doubles round robin was a treat to watch, and a reminder of the depth of talent among even the youngest badminton athletes in BC. Peter Chui and Justin Law (VRC) took a commanding lead in the event, finishing the day with 126 points and the top spot leading into Sunday’s finals. Jadon Tsang and Jason Yuan (ClearOne) came in at a close second, and should present a real challenge to Chui and Law in the gold medal match.
Victor Huang (ClearOne) and Wenjun Ouyang (Ace), who were Team BC teammates at the Western Canadian Team Championships in January, snagged the top spot heading into the U15 Boys’ Doubles finals. They’ll square off against fellow WCTC alums Nik Cruz and Mandinu De Silva (VLTBC), who came very close to taking first after winning both their round robin matches this afternoon.
The Western Canadian Team Championships proved a valuable experience in the development of U15 athletes, as WCTC Team BC also dominated the competition in the U15 Girls’ Doubles round robin. Stephenie Ho (Ace) and Stella Seo (HCC) finished with a number one standing after winning both their matches in two games. Juliet Emlyn (HCC) and her cousin Valeena Van Heukelom (VRC) move to the finals with their own 2-0, two-game record after an impressive showing on the courts.
The trend of WCTC alums taking a strong lead continued in U17 Mixed Doubles. Top seeds Daryl Yang (SSDCA) and Michelle Yeung (Ace) took their first match in two games, and will advance to play Jonah Lee and Yoko Ujike (ClearOne), who took a three-game nail-biter 21-18, 17-21, 21-16 to earn a shot at gold.
Alexa Wu (VLTBC) and Samantha Zheng (Ace) are clearly on the top of their game after an excellent showing with Team BC at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George. The duo are in the number one spot in the U19 Girls’ Doubles round robin, and will face challengers Harmony Ky and Jenna Wong in Sunday’s finals.
For a short time, it looked like the Open Men’s Singles event was in for a major upset. Top seed and National Team member Toby Ng (ClearOne) faced Team BC’s Canada Winter Games bronze medalist James Ho (Ace) in the semi-finals and nearly ended his sprint for the podium there. After losing the first game 15-21, Ng recovered to take the next two 21-17, 21-14 and clinch a spot in Sunday’s finals. Facing him will be number two seed Mingxi Jiang (Ace), who won a very close match against Team BC athlete Alex Lin (Ace) 21-14, 23-25, 21-16.
A pattern arose in the Open Women’s Singles category that bore a striking similarity to the U15 event: athletes who partook in the Team BC program once again took a definitive lead in the day’s matches. Team BC alum Kylie Cheng (Ace) just edged past fellow Team BC teammate Qingzi Ouyang (Ace) to take the top spot leading into Sunday’s finals. These young women, who will also play together as doubles partners in the Provincial Championship, should put on a great show for spectators wishing to see the skill and athleticism of BC’s top female athletes.
Matches continue Friday afternoon, beginning with U19 Boys’ Singles at 4:00PM and continuing through the evening with U15 Boys’ Singles, U13 Mixed Doubles, and Open Mixed Doubles. New badminton fans and experienced spectators alike are welcome to watch, and should find plenty to cheer for!