Tuesday August 11th 2015 during the magnificent World Championships in the Badminton Mecca, the Istora Senayan Arena in Jakarta, I played the last match of my international badminton career. I have decided to stop as a professional badminton player. After 18 years of badminton competition, of which the last 15 years as a professional athlete, a special period of my life has come to an end. I will now start with a new chapter.
Recently it became increasingly clear that the funding for our ambitious tournament plan towards the Olympics 2016 in Rio, as drawn up by the Dutch Badminton Association, was not feasible. The financial support from the association (a personal budget) proved to me personally to be far from adequate enough to cover the costs of the 21 qualifier tournaments that Samantha and I would have to play. 21 tournaments which were and are essential to gain points for the world ranking. Additionally, we lacked progression towards the top 10 in the world in our mixed doubles and our position in the top 20 of the world ranking was not enough to get additional financial support. Neither from the Association nor from the Dutch Olympic Committee. For me it is not possible to compete on the highest possible level without these crucial contributions.
With great pleasure and pride I look back on a wonderful time within the world of, in my view, the most beautiful sport there is. The badminton sport has taught me a lot and has led me to magnificent spots all over the world. In my early years, mostly in the smaller sports halls within Europe and in recent years in the world’s biggest arenas that exist within our sport. I have had the privilege to measure up to the world’s very best athletes at tournaments I’d only hoped to play, when I was a child. I celebrated successes, suffered defeats, dealt with disappointments, had lucky breaks and experienced euphoria. All these years I got (financial) support from people of different companies like e.g. Yonex and Footconnection, but also from individual people. I like to thank them all very much for their trust and confidence and the credits they gave me. They made it possible for me to be a professional sportsman throughout the years. They have made possible that I could achieve good performances, moments that I will always cherish. Naturally I also thank my partners with whom I have played together, my coaches, trainers, physios, masseurs and all other people who have been there for me throughout my badminton career. My biggest thanks go out to my parents, sister and girlfriend who always and I really mean always were and still are around. Family is the basis for everything and the basis is good! I am grateful for everything you meant for me and still mean to me. I love you!
The Highlights:
– European Championships: bronze individual, silver team
– National Champion
– 3x Finalist at the BWF Grand Prix Circuit, of which 1x Yonex Dutch Open
– Multiple winner and finalist at the Badminton Europe Circuit
– 36 caps for the Dutch National Team
– 7 qualifications World Championships, 5 qualifications European Championships,
3 World Team Championships selections, 9 European Team Championships selections
– Best World ranking: 16
– Best National ranking: 1
2014 is almost history! For me personally it was a great year with many beautiful moments. I will give a short review.
The start of 2014 was already promising. On January 2nd we were informed that we would get a new full time trainer/coach: Kim Nielsen, who was a coach of the Danish National team for quite some time. He would start on April 1 and really settle himself in Arnhem. Apart from that the first two months of the year were mainly dedicated to the German Premier League as Samantha’s foot injury kept us from playing international tournaments. In the League Mülheim is performing very well and we have a lead of a few points.
By the end of February Samantha and I are finally ready for our comeback in the international circuit.
In my “home port” Mülheim we play the Yonex German Open. We have low expectations but we are more than happy to be on court again. We make a good win in the first round but in the second round we are just a little bit short to stunt against a top 20 pair from Hong Kong. Nevertheless it’s a promising kick off.
From mid March till mid April we practise very hard. We prepare ourselves for the European Championships in Kazan, Russia and I am fit. A European medal is one of my goals for this year but given the backlog that we have accumulated it’s not very realistic. Once in Kazan we win the first two rounds and we are in the quarter finals. There we will meet the number one Russian pair Durkin and Vislova. All of a sudden we are only one match away from a medal. This Friday, April 25, I can call the most special day from my badminton career so far.
Our match is scheduled in the early evening and the day seems to be endless. A few hours before the match I am ever so nervous. Once in the arena the nerves make way to an adrenaline rush I have never experienced before. We enter the court, we win the first game and lose the second. In the third game it’s all or nothing. We get excellent feedback and instructions from our coaches Kim and Rune. Towards the end of the game we manage to take a small lead of 2,3 points. I still remember the match point. The four of us exchange glances, we are determined to make this point! Then we play a long rally with a final winner at the net! The entire stadium is silent, but I scream, run around and jump. I am beside myself of excitement. We hug each other, the coaches and our masseur Gerrit. We have just won the first mixed doubles medal for The Netherlands in 12 years. I am overjoyed!
The next day, in the semifinals, the Danish top favorites Fischer and Pedersen are our opponents. We don’t stand a chance and we lose in two games. The day after is the medal ceremony and Samantha and I stand between the other 3 pairs, all Danish, with a medal around our neck. We are proud to be on that stage after such a difficult period. Those 7 minutes of the ceremony made me forget all disappointments and earlier losses. They were more than worth it. I enjoy every second of the ceremony: you may watch yourself
On May 11th I play together with my teammates of 1.BV Mülheim the final of the German Premier League. We meet Lüdinghausen in their sportshall. For all the badminton lovers it’s a great afternoon with beautiful and exciting matches. Marcus Ellis and I open the score with a win but unfortunately we lose the ladies doubles, both men’s singles and the ladies single. This leaves us with the runner up position and we are really disappointed. Still we are proud of this result and of the great season. Last year we ended third, this year 2nd so hopefully next year…………….
At the start of the summer period we play the Grand Prix (Gold) tournaments of Canada and the USA. In Vancouver we reach the final. We meet the German pair Schwenger and Nelte at the same time the Dutch National Soccer team plays Costa Rica in the quarter final of the World Championships Football in Salvador, Brasil. They win but we lose in two games. Quite disappointing.
Back in Holland we start to prepare for the World Championships in Copenhagen. 6 weeks of hard and intensive training at a very hot and sweltering training centre Papendal.
The MH 17 disaster on July 17 touches me deeply. So many innocent victims. It also makes me realize myself how often I have flown this route myself. It makes me even more aware again of the fact that I have to be grateful for every day I am allowed to do what I like most: playing badminton.
The World Championships tournament in Copenhagen is a special event. Samantha and I make a good win in the first round but in the second we lose against a Chinese pair. I stay in Copenhagen and my girlfriend joins me and we watch the semi finals and the finals together. We enjoy every minute! On Sunday we witness the spectacular win of Carolina Marin. A Spanish world champion! I believe this is the ultimate proof of what you can achieve with hard work and the right attitude.
The period October through November is very busy. We have 6 tournaments ahead of us and after every 2 events a week of intensive training is scheduled. At the Yonex Dutch Open we perform at our absolute top level. This tournament is used to test the new scoring system 5 games to 11. After 4 good wins we are facing the Indonesian pair Widianto and Dili in the final. We take a 2 games to 1 lead and in the 4th game we make a good start but the Indonesians still manage to win it. In the fifth and final game we don’t stand a chance anymore and we fail to win the tournament. Of course we are very disappointed about this result but at the same time we are more than proud of the performance we showed.
For the Asian Super Series in China and Hong Kong we drew the same opponents in both tournaments….Widianto and Dili. In the meantime this pair has come to the 11th place on the world ranking. In the gigantic arena of Fuzhou we play a very good match with many long rallies. In 2 games we take revenge for the loss at the Dutch Open. In the second round we had to acknowledge the former world champions the Indonesians Ahmad and Natsir as our superiors.
Exactly one week later, in Hong Kong, we were again facing Widianto and Dili. This time we fail to get grip on the match and we lose in 2 games. In the mean time we did manage to reach the top 25 of the world ranking again, which was one of the other goals this year.
Now at the end of December I look back with pride and pleasure at a year which has brought me a lot of wonderful things. An European Championships medal, finals at Grand Prix tournaments, winning from a pair which is in the top 10 now, number 23 on the world ranking and the final of the German Premier League. But above all I retrieved my playing pleasure which I had lost at the end of 2013.
2015 is almost here, an important year with again many new and nice challenges. Supported by my family, my girlfriend and my sponsors I am more than ready to battle again!
I wish you all a successful, sportive but above all healthy 2015!
It were busy weeks after the four tournaments that we played in March. The league season in the German Bundesliga is nearing its end, and we start to prepare for the European Championships in Kazan, Russia. Moreover Kim Nielsen, our new trainer and coach, arrives in the Netherlands and is now working fulltime for the Dutch Badminton Association.
For my team, 1.BV MĂĽlheim, the regular League season ends in a very strange way. Throughout the year we are leading in the League but in the last two matches against the numbers two and three of the list we waste 4 points and we finish 2nd. So we qualified for the playoff games of which we can organize the first one ourselves. Of course everything is still possible and we will do our utmost to make it to national champion of Germany!
The weeks at Papendal are very heavy. Kim pushes us to the limit with his varied training schedule. More than once when we start on Wednesday I wish it’s already Friday. A week before leaving for Kazan we take it a bit easier to give the body some time to recover. We still play the Dutch International in Wateringen. In the semifinals we lose from a Danish pair. Not exactly the result we had hoped for.
Easter Monday morning we depart from Schiphol to Moscow with final destination Kazan. This city, with over 1 million inhabitants, is located about 800 kilometers southeast of Moscow and organized last year’s Universiade. However, this week the city is the battleground of the European Badminton Championships. The fifth time I have qualified for this tournament. After a long day of traveling it is important to exercise the following day. On Tuesday, after some cardio and core stability training in the beautiful gym of the hotel, it’s time to go to the main hall. Our coaches Kim Nielsen and Rune Massing have prepared a training program which gives everyone a chance to get accustomed to the playing ground. I get an hour and ten minutes. The hall is large, high and quite drafty. The training is going well. In the evening, we analyze with Kim our opponents in the first round. We determine our strategy. I feel ready for the first match: Wednesday morning versus an English pair.
At half past ten we may enter the court which is covered by Badminton Europe TV. I am a little tense. We win the toss and we choose to start on the head wind side. We pop out of the starting blocks and win the first game by 21-8. In the second game we are on the” difficult” side. The English change their tactics, they seek the net to force us to lift. Till 16-16 it’s an equal battle but then we score five consecutive points and win the match. I’m relieved! Our masseur Gerrit has come along to Kazan. Great! He gives me a solid treat and after that I have the rest of the day off.
The opponents in the second round are Welshmen. There is nothing to be found on YouTube about them so there is nothing to analyze. We do discuss some individual points so we still have some guidance for the match. We are the second match after 10.00 am, a pleasant time. The game starts quite uneasy. Although we are leading all the time we do not feel comfortable. We waste four game points and we even lose this first game.
Also, at the start of the second game, we still have problems to take a lead. They play well, but we also know that they can’t maintain this level till the end of the second game. We get opportunities and continue to work hard. Slowly but steadily we take control of the match. In game 2 and 3, we win with large scores, but we really had to fight for it! On to the quarterfinals! Again, a well-deserved massage and then off to the hotel. In the evening I go back to the hall to watch some games, but I’m going away in time to prepare for tomorrow’s match.
Friday, April 25! The day of the quarter-finals, the day that we can score a medal. Once before at the European Championships 2010 in Manchester I played a quarterfinal. Then of the men’s doubles which we lost. Today I remember how I felt before that match. I ‘m pretty tense but focused. After breakfast I go to the training hall for a light workout. The feeling is good. In the afternoon we analyze our opponents again with our coach Kim. We play against the Russian pair Durkin / Vislova . They performed very well in the first two rounds and apparently they are in great shape. While analyzing we find some interesting points to reckon with and to keep in mind during the encounter. Then I go back to the hotel room and I skype with my parents. Although I see them up-side-down because of a setting problem it is nice to speak to them. It brings me some tranquility. I have a shower, brush my teeth and get the bus to the hall. Before I get there I start feeling hungry again. What’s this? I’ve just eaten! We are now about an hour before the game, but should I have to go on court feeling hungry? I run to the canteen of the hall and order a light pasta with some vegetables. After this meal I am ready for the warming-up! Meanwhile my nerves made way for an adrenaline rush. We may enter the court.
The first game is a rather equal battle. We are 13-15 behind when we get the chance to take and hold the lead. We win the first game. In the second game it is the other way round. From a score of 8-8 we are and stay behind all the time and we lose by 16-21. The third game, it will be all or nothing! Again we face an arrears at 7-10 but we come back by winning the last four points before the interval. Our coaches dot the i’s and cross the t’s and immediately we grab two more points. The Russians fight back and we have to allow them a 13-13 score. Every now and then Kim calls from the baseline “Close the gap”. He wants me to stay close behind Samantha because the Russians don’t play up too much and if we stand side by side we have a better coverage of the net. This tactic works out well and we score four points in a row. It turns out to be the deciding set, because the Russians don’t really get a chance anymore. We arrive at 19-14 and then 20-17. We lose the first matchpoint but the second one is home. The hall is dead silent, but we go bonkers. I have not seen the pictures yet, but I believe I have ran where ever I could run. I was as happy as could be. We give each other a hug, shake hands with opponents and officials and hug the coaches and masseur Gerrit! We have just secured a medal at the European Championships. It’s great to get congratulations from international colleague players and coaches. Everyone refers to Samantha’s injury and tells me that this win is so very well deserved. I radiate joy! On Gerrit’s massage table I finally settle down a bit. Back at the hotel I read all the posts, I skype a few times and finally I fall asleep with a big smile on my face, remembering the best day of my entire badminton career so far.
Saturday, April 26, I wake up with an unpleasant feeling. I have a cold and my stomach is playing up. I eat a little bit, but go right back into bed. In the afternoon we have a meeting with the coaches to analyze the first seeded Danes Fischer Nielsen/Pedersen, our opponents in the semi-finals. Obviously we are the underdog but also this pair has a few weaknesses. After the analysis Rune Massing tells us that we have to take into account that we may have to fly home that same evening when we lose and thus miss the medal ceremony on Sunday. Our visa expire at midnight on the 26th and in Russia you really do not want to get trouble. Rune has been busy all night and day to try and find a way out but it doesn’t look good. There aren’t many options left. My heart sinks into my boots. This can’t be true! We go back to our rooms with the instruction to focus on the match to come. Easier said than done.
Just before we leave for the hall we get the message that they found a solution and that we can stay. Our visa have been extended till the 29th. At least one burden less but I still feel not good at all.
The match begins and in no time we are facing a 0-9 arrears. Pedersen’s service is superb. When we score our first point we get applause from the spectators. It makes us laugh.
Eventually we still play quite some nice rallies, but obviously the Danes are a size too big. We lose the semi-finals, but win a bronze medal. The first mixed doubles medal in 12 years for The Netherlands. In the evening I thank the coaches and masseur for their outstanding and very professional guidance this week in which I, as a player, was once again very well prepared for the matches I had to play. In my already pretty long badminton career this is by far the best guided tournament week ever! Rune and Kim are a twofoldness. It shows and you feel it when you are on court. To be able to perform this is of great importance for a player!
Sunday, April 27. The day of the finals. I still do not feel well, but the thought that I will be on the stand later that day keeps me going. In the afternoon I watch the finals. It’s especially nice to see the Russians win the men’s doubles. A great achievement to win a championship in your home country. After this final match the medal ceremonies are scheduled and we are the first to take the stand. I am so very proud when I see the Dutch flag hoisted between three Danish flags. It’s a wonderful moment! After the ceremony we take a lot of pictures and talk with some people. With a wonderful feeling we go back to the hotel. At night we fly to Istanbul and from there back home where we arrive around 2:00 PM. At the airport we are met by photographer Rene Lagerwaard, his girlfriend Marije and dog Bobby. We make some nice pictures and that’s how we conclude the most intense, most tiring, most emotional but also the most amazing week of my badminton career (so far). This I will never forget and I mean never!
This year at the Dutch National Championships I only played the mixed doubles together with my partner Samantha Barning. My men’s doubles partner, Dave Khodabux, got a knee injury during one of the matches of the Dutch Premier League play offs. Reason why we had to withdraw ourselves from this competition.
Samantha and I were first seeded. In the first two rounds we did not meet much resistance so in fact the tournament could really start on Sunday with the semi finals. There we met Jacco Arends and Ilse Vaessen, a pair we train and exercise with almost every day. Last December we played them in the final of the Irish Open and then we performed very well. We won in two games. Yesterday we did not perform at all and we lost in three games.
The first game was easy. We won it convincingly and also in the second game we initially had little trouble. We arrived at 20-18, we wasted two match points but in the extension we got two match points again. Also this time we didn’t manage to finish it off and we lost this game. In the third game we were soon facing an arrear and the whole game we didn’t even get close to winning. So over and out and no final!
Nevertheless little reason to grieve because there are 4 nice events coming up soon. To start with the European Championships for mixed teams next week in Moscow. Samantha and I have been selected to play the mixed doubles which we consider an honour. Playing for your country in a national team has always something special and I am really looking forward to this event. I really hope that our small team will be able to get a good result.
Soon after the Championships we will play the German Open Grand Prix which is hosted by my Club MĂĽlheim. Another great event is the All England. Samantha and I have decided to go there at our own expense. After our victories in the European circuit we like to see where we stand when meeting the best players of the world. To conclude this series of tournaments we will most probably go to Basel for the Swiss Open. In short, we have a nice period ahead of us which is full of new challenges!
For me the European Championships Tournament is over. Yesterday I lost the mens doubles as well as the mixed in the third round.
The matches on Tuesday were not very difficult. In both events we had a 2 game win. But Wednesday would be an extremely heavy day with, if all went well, 3 matches within a relatively short period of time.
Samantha and I started the day in the second round playing the Czech champions Bitman and Basova. Especially in the second game we performed very well and we kept the Czechs from coming into the right rhythm. So a two game win. Soon after this the next match was scheduled for which Dave and I had prepared ourselves during the past 10 days. For the third time this year we were going to meet the Russians Ivanov and Sozonov. In the final in Sweden and the semi finals in Poland we didn’t stand a chance so when the EC draw had been published we started to analyse their playing with our coach Gerben Bruijstens. As a result we adjusted parts of our training with the only purpose to make a good performance playing this top pair. My objective was to play at least two good games and we achieved that goal.
In the first game we stayed close together all the way and we even got 2 game points which we failed to capitalize. At their first game point they played a winner and the game was theirs. In the second game the Russians took a 16-12 lead but a good series of consecutive points brought us back in the game. At a 18-19 score we played 3 winners in a row and the second game was ours. Also in the third we stayed close together but at 15 all they scored 4 very important consecutive points making the gap too big to bridge and we lost the game with 16-21. Of course this was a pity after such a good match but after all we were very happy and proud that, thanks to our preparation, we had succeeded to really fight back and offer resistance!
One hour later it was Samantha’s and my turn and again versus Russians, the number 3 seeds. In both games we were able to keep up with our opponents but still we never came close to winning a game. We were not dissatisfied at all with the 21-16 and 21-18 especially because we were often the better lot in the rallies. But they scored just a bit better at the service of the Russian lady who was anticipating well and at the right spot most of the time.
Today are the quarter finals and I will definitely watch these matches. Tomorrow morning we travel by bus to Copenhagen where we will take the flight back to Amsterdam. After two tournaments in a row I intend to enjoy a badminton free weekend to relax and to reminisce on my silver medal last week at the Dutch International. I believe it is important to cherish such moments! When saying it I realize that I still may log in at Badmintoneurope.tv to watch some of the finals. It’s quite addictive badminton.
This afternoon Dave and I will play the men’s doubles final at the Yonex Dutch International. Our match is the second one after 12 PM.
The Dutch International is the last EBU tournament before the Olympic qualification definitely ends and for some players/pairs there are still important points to be earned. This tournament immediately precedes the European Championships tournament which starts next Tuesday in Karlskrona, Sweden. For our Technical Staff this was the reason why the players going to Sweden were entered in the doubles only just to avoid playing too many matches. Up to now this worked out well with Dave and myself  in the men’s doubles final and with an entirely Dutch ladies doubles final.
Now back to my own matches. In the first round we met two Indonesians who like to play fast and hard but we had the right answer to their playing style. We won in two fast games. A nice detail was that I trained with one of the guys in 2009 at the Djarum Club in Jakarta when I participated in the Indonesian Open.
In the quarter final we played against the number one Belgium pair. Last year we lost against them, so we wanted a better match yesterday. We know them quite well because they are coming to our training centre pretty often to practise with us. Especially in the second game we played well and we beat them in straight games.
In the semi final Dhama Gunawi and Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki were our opponents. These two Indonesians play in the first Bundesliga in Germany. They like to make a show of each match and this is not easy for the ones they are playing against. If you want to cope with their style you have to be clever and you shall not be tempted to go along with their performance because if you do they send you to every corner of the court. Fortunately we were able to maintain our tactics all the way through the match and we managed to win this spectacular and for the public very entertaining match. So this afternoon we are in the finals!
Unfortunately I cannot report about this final right away because after the match we’ll have to hurry to catch our flight to Copenhagen from where we’ll travel by train and bus to Karlskrona. It’s going to be a long day but I am looking forward to it. If our hotel provides internet I will write a report next week on what happened today. So stay tuned.
This afternoon at Papendal the selection was announced which will participate in the 2012 European Men’s & Women’s Team Championships. The coach of the Dutch Badminton Association, Gerben Bruijstens, said that I and 9 other guys have been selected. I am very pleased and even more because 2 years ago in Poland I was not allowed to participate. At that time I still had a sponsoring contract with Carlton and the Dutch Association had just entered into a contract with Yonex. Consequently only players who could play with equipment from Yonex were sent to Warsaw. It was the biggest disappointment in my entire top sport career!
Fortunately this period lies behind us and we can now start focusing on this great tournament which will be held from 14 – 19 February in Amsterdam, my birth place. The other men in the team are:
Eric Pang, Dicky Palyama, Jordy Hilbink, Nick Fransman, Koen Ridder, Ruud Bosch, Dave Khodabux, Jacco Arends en Jelle Maas.
For the women’s team are selected:
Yao Jie, Judith Meulendijks, Patty Stolzenbach, Josephine Wentholt, Lotte Jonathans, Paulien van Dooremalen, Selena Piek, Iris Tabeling, Samantha Barning en Ilse Vaessen.
Eric, Dicky, Jie and Judith, who have no contract with the Dutch Association, have got a week to decide if they will accept the invitation. For the sake of Dutch Badminton I naturally hope  they will.
Thursday evening we reached the quarterfinals by beating Switzerland in again a thrilling match: 3-2
The last match, the ladies doubles, brought us the winning point. Before this match, we had lost both single matches and we won the mixed and men’s doubles. Our girls had a tough time especially in the second game but they managed to win it with the score of 22-20.
Yesterday evening the quarterfinals were scheduled. Denmark – Poland, England – Bulgaria, Germany – France and Netherlands – Russia. When the draw was published I was a bit surprised about the team of Russia because they did not play with their best possible team. There were chances in mixed and men’s doubles and than we had to score another point somewhere. Unfortunately it did not come that far. Ruud and Lotte started really well, were leading 18-13 but did not manage to finish: 19-21. In the second game the Russians were simply better and we lost that game with bigger score: 0-1. Now it was clear that we hardly could not win this match because the single matches were coming up and their single players are very strong.
Rune fought very hard in the first game against Pukhov and gave him a tough time. He almost managed to win the first game but in the end it was the Russian who took home the game with 20-22. In the second game Pukhov was the better player and the 0-2 was on the scoreboard.
Patty played against Ella Diehl. In the first game she did not play well and lost the game quite fast. In the second game Patty managed to play much better and took a lead of 5 points. Unfortunately Ella started to make a comeback and she decided the match and the entire interland in the favour of Russia: 0-3. The Netherlands was beaten!
Of course we knew we could loose this match against Russia, but still it is disappointing and a shame that we are out of the competition now. But to be honest Russia has got a better team at the moment and because of that we can be proud of the fact we came into the quarterfinals and about our fighting spirit through out the entire week. I enjoyed it to score the final point against Lithuania and I am looking forward to the next tournament!
Tuesday evening the EC started with a match against Iceland. Only the woman singles was won by Iceland so the final score was 4-1 for the Netherlands. A good result! I did not play myself, but against Lithuania I had to play the men’s doubles match.
The match against Lithuania did not start as well as we had hoped for. Dave and Samantha played a match against themselves and that was a shame to see. It just was not their day and we were 0-1 behind. Patty came on court against Akvile in the woman singles. They are playing quite often against each other because Akvile is playing in the Dutch league. Patty took the first game easily but lost focus in the second, so a third game had to be played. The final game was won by Patty and we were all very happy about that fact: 1-1. Saber was up against Kestutis and the difference of strength of playing badminton was clear to see. He simply could not keep up: 1-2. The ladies doubles played by Iris and Selena came on court and they won the first game easily. In the second game things started to be more tight but eventually they took home the final score of 21-19: 2-2. In advance I had not expect to play the deciding match during my 18th interland, but I was ready for it. Luckily I managed to give a peptalk to Dave and it worked out. During the match it became clear that we would not get troubles playing our opponents. Within 20 minutes the match was over: 21-11 and 21-8. Final score: 3-2 for our team!
From the very first point until the last one we encouraged our teammates who were playing on court by yelling and it helped. We can be proud about the fact that we stayed very positive during the whole interland even though the first match was lost unexpectedly. It is a shame that there are always the same people who are grumbling…but anyway we are used to that by now. Tonight we are going to play very well to end 1st in our group and I have faith in that!
The double match weekend is behind us. A big loss against Duinwijck and a draw against Amersfoort.
Last night there was little to gain in the hall of Duinwijck. The home team overclassed ours and took the maximum number of points. This afternoon against Amersfoort we had better chances. Lester and I won the men’s double from Jelle and Joely in three games. Each team  won a ladies single and a men’s single match. It was a pleasant surprise to see Linda win from Gayle because in the first encounter Gayle still was the strongest. Unfortunately Hans had an off day and he lost from Vincent de Vries. Both teams also won a mixed double: making the final score 4-4.
With one more league match to play Van Zijderveld’s position is and will remain number 5 which means that for the first time in many years it will not participate in the play offs for the national title. The four clubs in the play offs will be Van Zundert Velo, Duinwijck, Amersfoort and Almere. Our last league match will be in March again against Duinwijck.
Tomorrow afternoon the selection for the European Championships for Mixed teams will get together at the Novotel in Amsterdam. We’ll have a training session in the hall between 3 and 5 pm and after that we we will “open” the tournament with a nice dinner in our capital city. Tuesday evening at 7 pm we’ll meet Iceland in our first encounter. Of course I will try to keep you informed during this event.
