Aussies Dominated Kiwis In Oceania Finals

New Zealand could manage just one title out of five in the finals of the Oceania Badminton Championships at Stadium Southland in Invercargill with their more experienced Australian counterparts showing that big time play counts for much against the Kiwis who struggle for funding and for even a national coach.

The one title to go the home players way was in the men’s singles as Joe Wu from Waikato defeated Invercargill’s James Eunson in a battle of the top seed defeating the second see 21-16 21-13. But that was it for the New Zealanders as former Taiwanese Olympian, now Australian coach, Chia Chi Huang won the women’s singles over fellow Aussie Erica Pong.

Pong had earlier knocked out Kiwi hope Jessica Jonggowisastro in a marathon 56minute semifinal in three games.

Ross Smith and Glenn Warfe took away the men’s doubles 21-19 21-12 over Oliver Leydon-Davis(Waikato) and Henry Tam(Auckland) and Warfe then teamed up with Kate Wilson Smith to beat Tam and Donna Haliday, also in straight games.

The women’s doubles was an all-Australian affair as Leanne Choo and Wilson-Smith accounted for second seed Leisha Cooper and Ann-Louise Slee 22-20 21-11.

Meanwhile it was a real trans-Tasman battle in the finals of the Oceania Junior championships as New Zealand won two out of the five titles and came close in the singles contests, with both the men’s and the women’s finals going to three games.

Fourth seed Asher Richardson from Canterbury lost to top seed Boris Ma from Australia 21-18 in the final game while Auckland’s Victoria Cheng, the tournament second seed lost to the No1 seed Tara Pilven(Australia) 12-21 21-12 21-14.

Kiwis took out the mixed in straight games with Waitakere pair Luke Charlesworth and Mary O’Connor combining to defeat third seeds Ashwant Gobinathan and Louisa Ma. The women’s doubles was an all-Kiwi affair as O’Connor and Madeleine Stapleton accounted for the North Harbour sisters Anona and Aviva Pak in straight games, while the men’s doubles had top seeds Gobinathan and Ma beat second seeds William Chen and Asher Richardson in straight games.

As a result of making the singles finals Richardson and Cheng have qualified for the first Summer Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore in August.

Results

Oceana Championships, Stadium Southland, Invercargill

Women’s singles semifinal;

Erica Pong(Australia) bt Jessica Jonggowisastro 19-21 21-14 21-14,

singles final;

Huang(Australia) bt Pong(Australia) 21-5 21-7

Women’s doubles final;

Leanne Choo/Kate Wilson-Smith(Australia) bt (2)Leisha Cooper/Ann-Louise Slee(Australia) 22-20 21-11

Men’s doubles final;

Ross Smith/Glenn Warfe(Australia) bt (1)Oliver Leydon-Davis/Henry Tam 21-19 21-12

Mixed semifinals, (1)Henry Tam/Donna Haliday bt Chad Whitehead/Leanne Choo(Australia) 21-17 22-24 21-14, Glenn Warfe/Kate Wilson-Smith(Australia) bt James Eunson/Stephane Cheng 21-12 21-5

Mixed final;

Warfe/Wilson-Smith(Australia) bt Tam/Haliday 21-11 21-10

Men’s singles final;

(1)Joe Wu bt (2)James Eunson 21-16 21-13

Junior Oceania Champs

(New Zealand unless noted).

Oceania Junior mixed final

(1)Luke Charlesworth/Mary O’Connor bt (3)Ashwant Gobinathan/Louisa Ma 21-11 21-13.

Oceania Junior men’s singles;

(1)Boris Ma(Australia) bt (4)Asher Richardson 17-21 21-14 21-18

Oceania Junior women’s singles;

(1)Tara Pilven(Australia) bt (2)Victoria Cheng 12-21 21-12 21-14

Oceania Junior women’s doubles;

(2)Mary O’Connor/Madeleine Stapleton bt Anona Pak/Aviva Pak 21-19 21-11

Oceania Junior men’s doubles;

(1)Ashwant Gobinathan/Boris Ma(Australia) bt (2)William Chen/Asher Richardson 21-19 21-16