WESTERN Suburbs Badminton Association will send five of its rising stars to compete at the 2012 Li-Ning Victorian International, a three-day event starting tomorrow at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The event has attracted a long line of quality players from across the globe, and association manager Ron Gray says the level of competition will provide a learning experience for the west’s best youngsters.
“Most of the players we’ve put in are in our development squad,” he said. “It will be great for them to play against players at that level, to improve their game.
“They will be up against tried-and-tested low-level international players.”
Ann-Louise Slee is the form player of the five and the most experienced.
A former national player, Slee has entered the singles, doubles and mixed championships and is the association’s best hope for a shot at glory. The 24-year-old from Werribee enters fresh from a clean sweep of those three events at the recent Altona Open.
Slee has a dream start in the singles, being handed a free pass to the second round.
She will team up with regular partner Eugenia Tanaka in the women’s doubles and form an intriguing mixed partnership with Ong Ben Teong.
“He won a gold medal for Malaysia in the 1982 Commonwealth Games,” Gray says. “He’s still very competitive in his 50s. Noone knows his way around a badminton court better.”
The other four WSBA entrants include teenagers James Audley and David Cutroni, along with Tegan Berry and Stephen Nguyen.
Meanwhile, Keilor East Rebels are the WSBA Agrade autumn champions.
The Rebels edged out Laverton Gold 12-8 in the season decider at the Altona Badminton Centre.
