ID :
75553
Sun, 08/16/2009 - 10:01
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/75553
The shortlink copeid
Thomas one step away from realising World C'ship title dream
Amit Kumar Das
Hyderabad, Aug 15 (PTI) Denmark's Thomas Laybourne had
once bade adiue to badminton after losing interest in the game
but now being close to fulfiling his world championship title
dream along with his mixed doubles partner Kamilla Rytter
Juhl, the shuttler feels he had taken the right decision of
returning back to the sport.
Thomas and Kamilla Saturday reached the finals of the
mixed doubles event in the World Badminton Championship,
beating top seed Korean pair of Yong Dae Lee and Hyo Jung Lee
18-21 21-9 21-18.
"I lost interest in badminton when I was 17 years old and
so had stopped playing but I started playing again after a
couple of years and today reaching the finals here, I feel
that was the right decision," Thomas said after the semifinal
victory.
Returning to the court, however, was not easy and it was
only in 2004 that Thomas, partnering Kamilla won his first big
tournament, the Dutch Open and then followed it up with the
Danish national in 2005.
Thomas, who will touch 32 this September, said he wants
to win the World Championship and an Olympic gold before
retiring.
"I have these two goals in life and now that the world
championship is a step away I would carry on till the London
Olympics in 2012.
"I know I am 31 but honestly I feel young and fresh. I
want to train harder and make a last ditch at the London
Olympics, after that may be I'll stop," he said.
The Dane duo also won the 2008 World Super Series Masters
and was the finalist in the All England Championship in 2005.
Thomas, however, rued the absence of proper
infrastructure for the game in Denmark.
"We don't have proper facilites back home and we can
train only for 2-3 hours which is not enough," he said.
He felt the reason behind Asia's domination in badminton
is their early introduction to the game.
"We get education first and then we persue badminton and
so it takes time to get mature and be at your best, where as
in Asian countries like China and Malaysian, they start so
early. It is a problem but may be its two different countries
so things are different," Thomas signed off. PTI
Hyderabad, Aug 15 (PTI) Denmark's Thomas Laybourne had
once bade adiue to badminton after losing interest in the game
but now being close to fulfiling his world championship title
dream along with his mixed doubles partner Kamilla Rytter
Juhl, the shuttler feels he had taken the right decision of
returning back to the sport.
Thomas and Kamilla Saturday reached the finals of the
mixed doubles event in the World Badminton Championship,
beating top seed Korean pair of Yong Dae Lee and Hyo Jung Lee
18-21 21-9 21-18.
"I lost interest in badminton when I was 17 years old and
so had stopped playing but I started playing again after a
couple of years and today reaching the finals here, I feel
that was the right decision," Thomas said after the semifinal
victory.
Returning to the court, however, was not easy and it was
only in 2004 that Thomas, partnering Kamilla won his first big
tournament, the Dutch Open and then followed it up with the
Danish national in 2005.
Thomas, who will touch 32 this September, said he wants
to win the World Championship and an Olympic gold before
retiring.
"I have these two goals in life and now that the world
championship is a step away I would carry on till the London
Olympics in 2012.
"I know I am 31 but honestly I feel young and fresh. I
want to train harder and make a last ditch at the London
Olympics, after that may be I'll stop," he said.
The Dane duo also won the 2008 World Super Series Masters
and was the finalist in the All England Championship in 2005.
Thomas, however, rued the absence of proper
infrastructure for the game in Denmark.
"We don't have proper facilites back home and we can
train only for 2-3 hours which is not enough," he said.
He felt the reason behind Asia's domination in badminton
is their early introduction to the game.
"We get education first and then we persue badminton and
so it takes time to get mature and be at your best, where as
in Asian countries like China and Malaysian, they start so
early. It is a problem but may be its two different countries
so things are different," Thomas signed off. PTI
