March 3, 2022
Banner Season: Blues badminton searches for sixth straight OUA title at this weekend's championship
Burlington, Ont. - The search for a sixth straight Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship begins this weekend for the Toronto Varsity Blues badminton team, as they headline a field of eight conference competitors looking to score the coveted crown on the courts this weekend. The 2022 OUA Badminton Championship swings into banner season with matches taking place from March 4 to 6 at the University of Waterloo's Physical Activities Complex (PAC).
2022 OUA Badminton Championship | Fan Guide | Schedule/Results
With five straight championships in tow, the Varsity Blues are striving for their sixth straight banner at this weekend's festivities, and even without the typical time and ability to prepare, the team and head coach Jackie Yeung feel confident that they're going to perform well on the conference stage.
"Our group is really talented and rather experienced," said Yeung, as even some of the team's younger members have competed at high levels prior to joining the Blues.
One such player is Rebecca Lee, a first-year life sciences major who the team is counting on for a big performance. Despite not yet competing against the OUA's best and brightest during banner season, the Markham, Ont. native received the Ontario Quest for Gold Award in 2019 to go along with multiple mixed doubles medals at the 2019 Yonex Ontario Elite, Quebec Elite, and Atlantic Elite events. She also played her way to a bronze medal result in mixed doubles at the 2020 Yonex National Championships and lost in the women's doubles quarterfinals in that same event.
The defending champions are also turning to Jonathan Chien (Hong Kong) to showcase his elite level talent this weekend, with Yeung saying that it is a great time for "the most talented player on the team" to step up. He brings with him a 2020 OUA championship, along with championship runs at the 2019-20 Pan Am Badminton Championship (mixed and men's doubles) and the 2018-19 Asia School Badminton Championships (individual and team).
If the Blues want to continue their streak atop the conference, they'll need to watch out for the team they most recently defeated for the title - the 2020 silver medalist Western Mustangs. The 2014 champions have their eyes on the prize once again after their strong podium finish last time out, and according to coach Aden Kepford, the team is "ready and eagerly awaiting to show what Western has to offer this year".
Kepford and the Mustangs realize that the path to the podium won't be an easy one, but based on their training and the talent they boast on their roster, a return to the finals remains a very real possibility for the London squad.
Stanley Feng will be one of the Mustangs called upon to lead the team to victory this weekend, doing so with his exceptional talent and his ability to maintain team morale. The third-year Richmond Hill, Ont. product, who took home OUA rookie of the year honours in 2020, has been counted on to bring a high level of competition and energy to every practice and will be turned to for much of the same with a championship on the line.
While Feng will look to tackle this role with a OUA championship experience under his belt, fellow Mustang Jacqueline Cheung will aspire to do so in her first finale. Also coming from Richmond Hill, Ont., the science major has shown great skill in her first year on the team, as well as terrific dedication. Despite how difficult sport has been to arrange during the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheung continued to diligently train at home while first-year students were instructed to stay home and continues their courses online until February, and this weekend is when she and the team hopes this training pays off.
The hosts of this weekend's championship rounded out the podium in 2020, and with a veteran group leading them on the courts and a pair of former champions taking on the coaching roles, the Waterloo Warriors are hoping to put on a show for the home crowd at the PAC.
Mat Marr and Andrew Zhuang, both of whom were previously part of the OUA-winning squad in 2010, have stepped onto the sidelines for the black and gold and are excited to be back supporting the team. It has been a tough terrain to navigate amidst the restrictions in place, but much like their competition, they have made the most of the hand they were dealt to prepare for the weekend ahead, including indoor and outdoor fitness sessions and the use of analytics to make team decisions.
When it comes to the on-court product, senior Tommy Du (Markham, Ont.) is looking to cap off his final year with the team in winning fashion. For the fourth-year accounting and financial management major to help his Warriors take home the title, he'll need to put his steep, powerful smash to good use against the rest of the conference's elite.
Belle Tuen, meanwhile, has inspired the team with her energy on the court this year. The Aurora, Ont. native and geomatics major is well known for her endurance and has been spotted running to and from practice just to put in the extra miles. Although she claims to be a doubles specialist, Tuen frequently challenges the men's singles players to matches after practice.
The Ottawa Gee-Gees, who fell just shy of the podium following a loss to Waterloo in the bronze-medal match, also return to championship play, along with the Guelph Gryphons, who placed ninth last time out.
Rounding out the top five from 2020, meanwhile, the McMaster Marauders are excited for the chance to compete after a tough stretch through the pandemic. Without regularly scheduled games or tournaments, the maroon machine will turn to a team that brings plenty of experience to the table beyond the post-secondary scene, including Jeslyn Chow (Toronto, Ont.) and Talia Ng (Markham, Ont.).
Prior to joining McMaster, the former was a national-level player. Despite being a rookie on the team, the first-year life sciences major was ranked first in Canada for women's singles and doubles and has a decorated track record to show for it as a two-time gold medalist at the Junior Pan Am Games and a four-time gold medalist at junior nationals.
The Marauders will rely on Chow's extensive competition experience this weekend, much like they will with Ng. The second-year student-athlete represents Canada at a variety of international tournaments outside of the university circuit, having most recently traveled to Africa where she placed first in women's singles. For the Hamilton squad, the life sciences major was only able to compete in one OUA tournament prior to the pandemic, but she earned a conference all-star nod and the team's MVP honours therein, en route to winning the McMaster Marauders rookie of the year award as well.
Hoping for similar success in his first banner season outing, meanwhile, Ivan Li (Markham, Ont.) will lead a Rams team that has seen significant turnover into championship play. Li, a first-year retail management student, was a member of the World Junior Championships team that represented Canada in men's singles and mixed doubles in 2021. His top achievements thus far include being a two-time Junior Pan Am silver medalist, but he is looking to add to his list of accolades while representing the Rams at the upcoming championship.
Despite the turnover, Rams head coach Elena Ng is hoping the team can keep their spirits high and bring their best to the court for each match. "I hope this event inspires our players to aim high and continue to work hard in meeting their goals. There is still much work to be done, but I know our athletes are up for the challenge."
While several of the weekend's student-athletes, like Li, are suiting up for their first OUA championship, a member of the York Lions, the event's final competitors, is simply suiting up for a new school. A four-time OUA all-star, Giselle Chan (Markham, Ont.) comes to the Lions after a successful tenure with the cross-town Varsity Blues. Along with her decorated post-secondary career, she also brings with her a slew of international success, including titles at the 2016 Junior Pan Am Championships, the 2016 Junior National Championships, and the 2019 Yonex College/University Nationals.
Jordan Lau will also hit the courts for York, as the Markam, Ont. native, who was the school's 2018 badminton intramurals triple crown champion, will make his second appearance at the OUA festivities.
The eight teams competing in the 2022 OUA Badminton Championships will start their banner season runs with pool play on Friday, March 4 at 9:00am, continuing on through the day, before knockout rounds begin the following day, and a champion is crowned on Sunday, March 6.
2022 OUA Badminton Championship | Fan Guide | Schedule/Results
With five straight championships in tow, the Varsity Blues are striving for their sixth straight banner at this weekend's festivities, and even without the typical time and ability to prepare, the team and head coach Jackie Yeung feel confident that they're going to perform well on the conference stage.
"Our group is really talented and rather experienced," said Yeung, as even some of the team's younger members have competed at high levels prior to joining the Blues.
One such player is Rebecca Lee, a first-year life sciences major who the team is counting on for a big performance. Despite not yet competing against the OUA's best and brightest during banner season, the Markham, Ont. native received the Ontario Quest for Gold Award in 2019 to go along with multiple mixed doubles medals at the 2019 Yonex Ontario Elite, Quebec Elite, and Atlantic Elite events. She also played her way to a bronze medal result in mixed doubles at the 2020 Yonex National Championships and lost in the women's doubles quarterfinals in that same event.
The defending champions are also turning to Jonathan Chien (Hong Kong) to showcase his elite level talent this weekend, with Yeung saying that it is a great time for "the most talented player on the team" to step up. He brings with him a 2020 OUA championship, along with championship runs at the 2019-20 Pan Am Badminton Championship (mixed and men's doubles) and the 2018-19 Asia School Badminton Championships (individual and team).
If the Blues want to continue their streak atop the conference, they'll need to watch out for the team they most recently defeated for the title - the 2020 silver medalist Western Mustangs. The 2014 champions have their eyes on the prize once again after their strong podium finish last time out, and according to coach Aden Kepford, the team is "ready and eagerly awaiting to show what Western has to offer this year".
Kepford and the Mustangs realize that the path to the podium won't be an easy one, but based on their training and the talent they boast on their roster, a return to the finals remains a very real possibility for the London squad.
Stanley Feng will be one of the Mustangs called upon to lead the team to victory this weekend, doing so with his exceptional talent and his ability to maintain team morale. The third-year Richmond Hill, Ont. product, who took home OUA rookie of the year honours in 2020, has been counted on to bring a high level of competition and energy to every practice and will be turned to for much of the same with a championship on the line.
While Feng will look to tackle this role with a OUA championship experience under his belt, fellow Mustang Jacqueline Cheung will aspire to do so in her first finale. Also coming from Richmond Hill, Ont., the science major has shown great skill in her first year on the team, as well as terrific dedication. Despite how difficult sport has been to arrange during the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheung continued to diligently train at home while first-year students were instructed to stay home and continues their courses online until February, and this weekend is when she and the team hopes this training pays off.
The hosts of this weekend's championship rounded out the podium in 2020, and with a veteran group leading them on the courts and a pair of former champions taking on the coaching roles, the Waterloo Warriors are hoping to put on a show for the home crowd at the PAC.
Mat Marr and Andrew Zhuang, both of whom were previously part of the OUA-winning squad in 2010, have stepped onto the sidelines for the black and gold and are excited to be back supporting the team. It has been a tough terrain to navigate amidst the restrictions in place, but much like their competition, they have made the most of the hand they were dealt to prepare for the weekend ahead, including indoor and outdoor fitness sessions and the use of analytics to make team decisions.
When it comes to the on-court product, senior Tommy Du (Markham, Ont.) is looking to cap off his final year with the team in winning fashion. For the fourth-year accounting and financial management major to help his Warriors take home the title, he'll need to put his steep, powerful smash to good use against the rest of the conference's elite.
Belle Tuen, meanwhile, has inspired the team with her energy on the court this year. The Aurora, Ont. native and geomatics major is well known for her endurance and has been spotted running to and from practice just to put in the extra miles. Although she claims to be a doubles specialist, Tuen frequently challenges the men's singles players to matches after practice.
The Ottawa Gee-Gees, who fell just shy of the podium following a loss to Waterloo in the bronze-medal match, also return to championship play, along with the Guelph Gryphons, who placed ninth last time out.
Rounding out the top five from 2020, meanwhile, the McMaster Marauders are excited for the chance to compete after a tough stretch through the pandemic. Without regularly scheduled games or tournaments, the maroon machine will turn to a team that brings plenty of experience to the table beyond the post-secondary scene, including Jeslyn Chow (Toronto, Ont.) and Talia Ng (Markham, Ont.).
Prior to joining McMaster, the former was a national-level player. Despite being a rookie on the team, the first-year life sciences major was ranked first in Canada for women's singles and doubles and has a decorated track record to show for it as a two-time gold medalist at the Junior Pan Am Games and a four-time gold medalist at junior nationals.
The Marauders will rely on Chow's extensive competition experience this weekend, much like they will with Ng. The second-year student-athlete represents Canada at a variety of international tournaments outside of the university circuit, having most recently traveled to Africa where she placed first in women's singles. For the Hamilton squad, the life sciences major was only able to compete in one OUA tournament prior to the pandemic, but she earned a conference all-star nod and the team's MVP honours therein, en route to winning the McMaster Marauders rookie of the year award as well.
Hoping for similar success in his first banner season outing, meanwhile, Ivan Li (Markham, Ont.) will lead a Rams team that has seen significant turnover into championship play. Li, a first-year retail management student, was a member of the World Junior Championships team that represented Canada in men's singles and mixed doubles in 2021. His top achievements thus far include being a two-time Junior Pan Am silver medalist, but he is looking to add to his list of accolades while representing the Rams at the upcoming championship.
Despite the turnover, Rams head coach Elena Ng is hoping the team can keep their spirits high and bring their best to the court for each match. "I hope this event inspires our players to aim high and continue to work hard in meeting their goals. There is still much work to be done, but I know our athletes are up for the challenge."
While several of the weekend's student-athletes, like Li, are suiting up for their first OUA championship, a member of the York Lions, the event's final competitors, is simply suiting up for a new school. A four-time OUA all-star, Giselle Chan (Markham, Ont.) comes to the Lions after a successful tenure with the cross-town Varsity Blues. Along with her decorated post-secondary career, she also brings with her a slew of international success, including titles at the 2016 Junior Pan Am Championships, the 2016 Junior National Championships, and the 2019 Yonex College/University Nationals.
Jordan Lau will also hit the courts for York, as the Markam, Ont. native, who was the school's 2018 badminton intramurals triple crown champion, will make his second appearance at the OUA festivities.
The eight teams competing in the 2022 OUA Badminton Championships will start their banner season runs with pool play on Friday, March 4 at 9:00am, continuing on through the day, before knockout rounds begin the following day, and a champion is crowned on Sunday, March 6.
