The 2nd Power Badminton of NTU EMBA 2015   2015/9/8 By Allan .  The Second Power Badminton organized by the NTU Badminton Club took place on Sep. 6 (Sunday) at the NTU Sports Center. Total 22 teams signed up this year; that was 5 teams more from last year. 200 players/referees/volunteer workers were there. These teams came from Class 2000 to 2015, except 2003. The Faculty Team under the leadership of Chen Liang-Ji, Vice President of NTU and Xie Ming-Hui, CEO, also participated, bringing more excitements and fun to the event. Since 8 AM of the event day, volunteer workers from the EMBA Badminton Club began to prepare the venue with setting up the flags at the 1st floor lobby, the red banner at the entrance, posters, sign stands, service station, trophies, certificates, and pennants, participation prizes, lucky draw prizes, game schedule, and site arrangement. As time flew by quickly, these high management professionals of NTU EMBA worked on their assigned tasks in an orderly fashion, exhibiting great teamwork and administrative efficiency. They meant serious business and they adapted that spirit in this EMBA event as well.

As teams of players arrived for check-in and warm-up, the air flowing in the Sports Center became vibrant. The event started at 9 AM sharp with the opening ceremony hosted by Shen, Xue-Ren, the former Club President and of Class 2010, and CEP Xie, who had been relentlessly supporting badminton all the way, addressed at the ceremony as well. She was energetic, friendly, and humorous; she congratulated the Badminton Club that this annual badminton event is now the top 3 sports events of NTU EMBA and that the Badminton Club is now one of the top 3 clubs. Shortly after, Xu, Li-Ren, Badminton Club President, briefed all players and thanked the sponsors and volunteers. Thanks to the generosity of the sponsors; we had more participation prices this year. There were donated sports bags, almanacs, and pens; there were also grip stripes and ache patches donated by the club founding president, Zheng, Ming-Dao, of Class 2006. (The Club also provided blue sports towels, badminton socks, and gift vouchers from the Badminton Club.) The blooming growth of the Badminton Club was introduced to the audience. Its frequent game events and flexible schedule were the strategies adopted to attract good players from all classes, and the Club encouraged badminton lovers to join this dynamic and fun Club. After the group photograph and battle cries of the teams at the end of the ceremony, the intense games began.

The games adopted the latest rules for group's 3-game doubles; each game requires 21 points to win (touching the ground counts for one point). First, the first game was men's double, and the second game is women's double or mixed double (with 5-point handicap). All 22 teams proceeded in 5 sections from A to E. The top 5 teams of last year were broken down to each of the sections. Other teams drew to determine their respective sections. Referees were 12 students of the university team assigned and arranged by the university team's head couch, Mr. Chen, Zhi-Yi. 2 addition club coaches were available as reserve. Games saturated all 12 badminton courts at the NTU Sports Center at the same time; it was an amazing sight. These games might be friendly matches, but the players and their supporting cheering teams took the games seriously. All the battling noises, the cries, the sighs, and the cheering filled the air of the Sports Center. Each player was so determined to fight for the promotion scheduled in the afternoon. The A, B, C, and D sections completed their 32 matches, but the students of Classes 2014 A and B were in classes; their matches were scheduled at 13:15 and actually began at 14:00. It was the major reason that caused the delay of the schedule coming up later. In the end, the E section rushed through the 6 preliminary matches and the 12 teams to be promoted into the quarter final were determined. They were Be Low of Class 2005, Well of Class 2014 C1, Continuing Education, 989, Happy Badminton-Red of Class 2011, 903, 891, Faculty Team (seed team), Iron Triangle of NTU-Fudan 2006, 967, Class 2014B, and Class 2014A. The other 10 teams went to the Fun Game group.

At the preliminary matches in the morning, it was the perfect time for lunch. The organizer provided buns and fresh fruits purposefully to avoid cramps from long hours of exertion. A lucky draw came before the afternoon matches. Li, Ji-Ren from the faculty, and many other senior students jointly donated various prizes as happy surprises, and we were honored to have many faculty members to present these prizes. In addition, the Club President offered special prizes: 6 Tough Bears per winning player per match for beating Class 2005, the last years' champ.

The teams drew to determine their orders in the 3 sections of the quarter final. Each section had 4 teams for a round match, and the winners of each section were to be promoted into the semifinal to determine the Third Place, Runner-up, and the Champion. The runner-ups of each sections were to continue to play to determine number 4, 5, and 6. The quarter final was a brilliant but intense start. All teams were highly and equally competitive; they fought tenaciously. It turned out that the total points won by the teams with equal number of wins were used to determine the ranking. The top 3 entering into the final were 989, Continuing Education, and 903; the ones to fight for number 4, 5, and 6 were Class 2005, NTU-Fudan 2006, and 103B. The 10 teams in the Fun Game were grouped into 2 sections, where matches were relatively relaxed by still somewhat intense. The number ones of the two sections were to fight to determine the number 1 of the Fun Game group.

The games in the final were aces versus aces; in their showdowns no mercy was given to their opponents and deuces were frequent. The top six were: Continuing Education, 989, 903, NTU-Fudan 2006, Class 2014B, and Class 2005. The younger ones of the Continuing Education were toucher than the old breeds; they had the former NTU Badminton Team captain on their side, only as a non-official wild card. The results: 989 (Joint Force of Classes 2009 and 2010) was the champion; the 903 (Joint Force of Classes 2001 and 2004) was the Runner-up; the Iron Triangle of NTU-Fudan 2006 was the third place; and Class 2014B was the 4th place. The champ last year was here to make friends; they didn't win any title this year; perhaps it was the Touch Bears offered by the Club President did function as a great incentive. For the Fun Game group, the champion was Class 2013, and the Runner-up was Class 2015A. Al other teams not winning any title received a banner (the Fun Prize) as a reward. And the surprise of the day came. There was an extra friendly match: Vice President of the University, Chen, mixed with the current and former Club Presidents played against the kids of the players, and it was a breathlessly intense match. After 20-minute postpone, the closing ceremony took place at 17:20, and Vice President Chen; Li, Ji-Ren; graduate chair of the Information Management, Cai, Yi-Kuen; Sports Section Chief, Lian, Yu-Hui; Assistant Executive, Chen Yan-Hao; and the current and former Club Presidents presented the awards and prizes to the winning teams and individuals. The event drew a perfect period after the simple but solemn ceremony.

We would like to thank particularly the faculty for participating in this badminton event despite their tight schedule. Vice President Chen rushed to our event directly from an international seminar in the morning. Badminton used to be his passion of his student years; he was still full of passion and fighting spirit. After addressing at the opening, Chen put on his sports were immediately. In the middle of the quarter final during the noon he had to change attire once again to attend the NTU school opening ceremony at the 3rd floor, and race down to the 1st floor, change clothing again, and continue the match. We owe a great deal of gratitude to him. Xie the Boss also gave all-out support; after fighting from the first game to the last and still managed to maintain stamina. The title as a faculty member earned no mercy on the badminton court. Graduate chair Cai of Information Management was a seasoned player in badminton, and he, too, squeezed out time just to get to the event. Teacher Li, Ji-Ren rushed to be in the afternoon matches while still wearing wounds from a traffic accident. He was not going to give up; he was all up for swinging the racket. Assistant Executive, Chen Yan-Hao, was with a physical training in the morning, but he also made it here in the afternoon for his badminton debut.

More details and stories are available at the Badminton Club's LINE group.

Please visit the Club's Facebook Page for more great photos: NTU EMBA Badminton Club / Album:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.887437474638063&type=1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NTUEMBA Badminton Club will be gettting much and more interesting.

The masters get together, the experts have lots of fun, and so do the beginner.

Welcome to join us

                                                    Hsu, Li-Jen, The President of NTUEMBA Badminton Club( Class 2005 IM.)  Allan@FlowerDJ.com