The tone of the evening was announced by the dynamic men's singles match as Guatemala's Kevin Cordon battled Austria's Michael Lahnsteiner in an intense pairing of skill and athleticism with some good-natured fun. Lahnsteiner proved victorious in the short rally-point game to 15, showcasing his relentless retrieval of Cordon's crafty attack - as well as making friends with the crowd (also the ‘line judges'-a running joke of the event).

The women's singles followed immediately with "ooh's" and "ahh's" of a different nature. Sabrina Jaquet of Switzerland exhibited her ability to artfully maneuver the shuttle at will, while England's Nicola Cerfontyne displayed her athleticism and quickness in chasing down the shuttle.

Highlighting some of the more entertaining moments of the evening with rock-solid play and humorous banter was Germany's Michael Fuchs, a veteran on the badminton circuit and currently ranked tenth in the world in mixed doubles. Win or lose, Fuchs and the rest of the players would laugh and smile, reminding us that good sportsmanship is also an essential aspect of being a professional.

The most interesting format of the evening was the Mixed ‘Triples' event where each side had three players - one at the net and two in the back - and consisted of either one woman and two men, or two women and one man. The rallies in the triples events were typically long and exciting with furious attacks and stern defense which had players diving across the floor at times to keep the rally alive.

In the end, the Los Angeles Strings clinched the League title, winning 6 of the 9 games against the Seattle Smash. But just before the crowd dissipated and the courts refilled with energetic members, a surprise birthday awaited our head coach, Paz Ben-Sira, who has been a dedicated and passionate coach at the Bellevue Badminton Club for five years now and is the cornerstone to our excellent junior program. Paz has agreed to be the US Junior National Team coach for the Jr. Pan American games; so if you see him on the courts or in the halls feel free to congratulate him on his great achievement, and thank him for all he has done.

The players present at the NBL match will be competing against other world class athletes in the Canadian Open starting Wednesday. Vancouver is only a short drive away if you would like to see more world class games and cheer on Eva Lee and Paula Obañana, along with the rest of team USA. http://www.canadaopen.ca/

The NBL, which hosted this event, is open to everyone; so if you're interested in creating a team and having some fun of your own, you can register at:

http://www.nationalbadmintonleague.com/NBLrecreational.htm

The league games will start in September, and all skill levels are welcome so sign up now to get the ball rolling... or the bird ‘chirping?'

Anyways, keep smashing! And we'll see you on the courts!

League Players

Los Angeles Strings :

Sabrina Jacquet - Switzerland
Eva Lee - USA
Paula Obañana - USA
Kevin Cordon - Guatemala
Michael Fuchs - Germany

Seattle Smash :

Nicola Cerfontyne - England
Simone Prutsch - Austria
Alistair Casey - Scotland
Michael Lahnsteiner - Austria