TJ’s Thoughts on the Junior World Championships in Korea

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The Junior NZ Team going to World Champs in Korea leaves next week for Incheon – here are the thoughts of coach TJ Weistra on the eve of the trip (See the International News Desk Box on the Main Newsletter for the Full List of Teams):

The NZ Team

Henry Tam

Ethan Haggo

Kevin Dennerly-Minturn

James Eunson

Danielle Barry

Emma Rodgers

Jessica Jonggowisastro

Jenny Doo (Manager)

Tjitte Weistra (Coach)

What will it be Like in Korea?

Well it will be cold – it is coming into autumn and winter there so it will be probably be between 0 to 10 degrees outside. However usually the venues are air conditioned so that shouldn’t affect things inside the hall.

Do Many People Speak English There?

No probably not, although we are staying in Incheon which overlaps Seoul – Incheon is a town that has grown a lot recently and has their own airport so because of that we should be well looked after and perhaps a few more English speaking people there which will make it a little easier.

Who’s the Team to Beat in Your Group?

We have Thailand, Russia, and Pakistan. I would expect Thailand to be the strongest, Russia to be quite strong and probably Pakistan to be the weakest but it is hard to predict. It is hard to predict how strong the teams will be but probably Thailand will be the top team of the three we will face.

What will the Players Get from the Experience?

Well it will be like nothing they have seen before in their life with 40 to 50 countries playing from around the globe. There will be countries they haven’t heard of producing some great badminton players. They will pick up all sorts of things, probably some will pick up some new shots and they will see a lot of players with a very high standard of technical ability.

Where are You Staying?

We are in the Paradise Hotel – we actually were going to stay in a smaller place but the organizers of the event cut that from their list of accommodation options quite late so we had very few options.

What do You want to Get out of the Trip?

I really want to make it a great experience for the players. It will be great for their education and important for their future improvement and performance. They will get experience in a new situation and at a great event and hopefully will learn from every new situation they face.

Good Luck to TJ, Jenny and the team in Korea and hope they have a fantastic experience and perform as well as they possibly can at the Junior World Champs J !

If you want to get behind the team and send a message of support at any time Jenny Doo is happy to receive them at scrappy@xtra.co.nz