2018 HNHS School Magazine HNHS Magazine 2018 | Page 50

B
Badminton Boys C
Back Row:
Steven Zheng, Jesse Perrott, Mrs L Baker (Coach)
Front Row:
Kevin Wang, Moritz Kinzenbach, Alan Chen, Pakawat Sangsorn, Robin Nguyen
Boys’ Badminton / HB Inter-Secondary Schools’
Singles Competition 2018
Havelock North Green played 10 games and won eight of
them, the last against Havelock North Blue. Although the
teams drew three games each, points gained by Havelock
North Blue meant that they did not win this game. Both
Havelock North Blue and the D-Grade teams won the
majority of their games.
2018 saw another change in the co-ordinator for the
secondary school competitions and with this came another
change in the length of the badminton season; slightly shorter
than last year. Competition dates and results were advised
via the website set up by the Hawke’s Bay Badminton
Club. This proved valuable ensuring that all schools had the
information at their finger tips.
Having three teams meant that I needed help in looking after
the teams when they had home games as well as transporting
them to the various schools around the Hastings / Napier
district. I would like to thank Mrs Lynne Fenton and Ms
Emma Lythgoe for helping throughout the season. Without
them, the boys would not have been able to play.
With all bar one member of the A-Grade team finishing their
secondary schooling in 2017, Havelock North High School
did not field a team in this grade in 2018.
The season finished with the Hawke’s Bay Inter-Secondary
Schools’ Competition, held in the Pettigrew Green Arena, in
Taradale, over two weeks.
With the addition of new players joining this year, we were
able to enter two teams into the C-grade and one team into
the D-grade divisions. Although we did not have any spare
players, it meant that every boy played every week. Through
their dedication the teams did just that.
I was privileged to accompany both the girls and boys to the
singles event. Pakawat, Alan, and Noa all progressed into
the boys’ semi-finals for their respective grades, but lost the
opportunity to play in the final rounds. Risa Yamagata made
it into the girls’ C-grade semi-finals. Linda Gee comfortably
won all her games to progress into the finals of the A-Grade
girls’ but unfortunately, the game was won by her opponent.
Each player also umpired numerous games throughout the
day.
In the C-grade the Havelock North Blue team members
were made up from the students who played last year in this
grade; Pakawat Sangsorn (captain), Daniel Setter, Moritz
Kinzenbach, and Jesse Perrott. The Havelock North Green
team was made up of students who had played for this grade
before as well as students who joined part way through
2017; Alan Chen (captain), Kevin Wang, Robin Nguyen
and Steven Zheng. The D-grade team was captained by Noa
Takahashi, with fellow members: Alexander Hing, Niteesh
Kumar, and Oliver Cain.
Due to the placement of our school benchmark examinations,
the senior students did not attend the Doubles tournament.
Mr Ian Johnson accompanied the juniors who had entered
into this competition.
All three teams have had a successful season. Both Blue
and Green teams made it into the play-offs for the first six
places. D-grade played off for the 6th – 9th place.
Mrs L Baker (Coach)
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