Gina Juan with Men’s World No. 1 Lin Dan at the Aviva Super Series event in Singapore last May 6
One of the top female badminton club players in Cebu, Gina Juan (who plays regularly at the Casino Espanol de Cebu) sent me something hilarious. Question: Are you crazy about this sport? Like thousands of others are in the Philippines? Read on. This just might be you.,,
• Just a split-second before shaking someone’s hand, you think forehand or backhand grip.
• You form hundreds of shuttlecocks into a Christmas tree. At parties, you compare the calluses of friends.
• You buy a tennis racket to train your wrist strength.
• You buy college text books as weights for wrist training.
• You wish you lived in Malaysia or Indonesia.
• You own more than two rackets.
• You’d rather play than go on a dinner date. You call in sick at work to play.
• Your choice of boyfriend is based on his level of play.
• You take jobs that fit into your game schedule.
• If you’re male, instead of Angelina Jolie, a picture of world No. 2 Xie Xing Fang hangs above your bed. A picture of Xie Xing Fang hangs above your bed, even if you’re female.
• You know how many cross and main strings are in your racket.
• You know how many feathers are in the shuttlecock.
• You meet a Danish person and the first thing you ask is, “You play badminton?”
• When someone mentions “single,” you think of badminton instead of marital status.
• When someone mentions “Carbon,” you think of badminton racquet instead of the public market.
• You flunk school because you spend all your time playing.
• You’d rather flunk school so you can spend more time playing.
• Your partner accidentally smashes your eyeglasses during a game, you immediate run to clean your eye, hop in the car, drive home, put on your contacts, come back, start playing again—all in less than 15 mins.
• Your knees hurt before and after but not during the game.
• You go to Malaysia and look for Stadium Negara as one of your “must see tourist attractions.”
• You have a miniature shuttlecock decorating your car interior.
• You practice footwork in front of the men’s room mirror when at work.
• You hold your girlfriend’s hand, she feels as if you are strengthening your grip.
• You lie to your girlfriend saying you love her more than badminton.
• You stare at your racket more than your girlfriend.
• You buy Adidas because the logo looks like a shuttlecock.
• You can’t resist hitting a few shuttles even in your high-heeled shoes.
• The guy who strings your racquet recognizes it as yours even if someone else brings it there for you.
• Never mind your head bleeding from a racquet hit from your partner, you continue playing on.
• You had to take out a second mortgage to pay for your last racket. You have shoulder tendonitis from playing.
• You’re instantaneously attracted to a person who’s good at badminton, no matter how ugly.
