Victory!

Well, as they say, the 3rd time's the charm.

TEAM GNR8 have joined 2 badminton tourneys so far and did just okay on average. The 3rd tourney was the BruManch Badminton Open. After going through the round robin with relative ease (hehe, sorry Rip!) we found ourselves in the semi-finals. Then we surprised ourselves by going through the semi and went on to the final. Our opponents were considered to be the best team in the tournament, which means the pressure is on them!

The final, which was played over best of 3 sets, was hotly contested. First set was close, then we made some careless mistakes in the end and ended up losing the set 18-21. In the second set, we regrouped and won by a comfortable 21-16. The deciding set was really intense. The scores were very close apart until we were match point down 18-20. To add to the drama, had a leg cramp! Baik jua ada first aid with some magic spray. Somehow, we fought thru the next two points and got to deuce 20-20. Then, me with leg cramping and all, we won the next two points to clinch the victory and won the gold medal!!! Yezza! Not bad for the "veteran" dark horse in the tournament :-D

We would like to thank our supporters, "The Gallery Fan Club" for their valuable support and cheers! (muka sorang2 pun tense in the final haha). The supporters consists of Momox (from Keele), Physicsbatu (from Liverpool), Mirage268 (from Leeds) and Manchester's very own Mr "Kway Teow" and Miss s***bing.

Here's what they have to say:

"That was a really intense match with a lot of twist...Memang sengaja kali kan membuat ia interesting berabis....
1st set, really intense and very tight....the set was won by the opposition but it was a really a close one....
and the 2nd set, start tia come back...
Especially time deciding set atu with score 18-20, pikir hampa udah psal one of player yang injured, calf muscle sakit.....then after kana bagi magic spray atu, menjadi game atu wah...
sakali manang atu, nda sangka2 wah...thats the magic of the underdogs lah.....it also shows the mentality toughness of 'the vets'......."

Momox


"I've been appointed to be the cameraman for the day..It was a new experience for me..It gave me the chance to see the action up close..

The journey for the GNR8 duo started early in the morning..The group was arguably kind to them and they surely didn't take it for granted..They won all the matches and deservedly earned a match in the semis..

Considered as the underdogs..They had nothing to lose..After a well played match they managed to win it as well..Surely no one had predicted it at the start of the tournament..

An epic final was on the cards..David Vs Goliath..Team GNR8 was up against considered the 1st seeded team..A quick change of shirt to bring out the spirit of GNR8..

The first set belonged to "Roy" and fahme..In the 2nd set team GNR8 showed the performance which deserved their place in the final..

3rd set..an intense set..it had all the dramas..it was tight throughout..Trailing 18-20 came the turning point..Championship point..Jester had cramps..We all conceded to defeat..but not the players..After a quick spray to the muscle..They clawed back to deuce 20-20..They all have given their all and the GNR8 team showed their experience and maturity to win it 22-20..

A fairy-tale ending indeed..Congratulations.."

Physicsbatu


"Well being a participant in the same group, i was unable to show mercy. Indeed, in the preliminary rounds I need not mercy as I was "belasah'd" by these 2 duos, 21-5. We also lost to the runner-up of our group, which was a weird, since they lost to another group which we had defeated instead. Putting the shameful past aside, the Duo team went on to the semifinals, having a straight win all the way. Being the "Underdogs", they sure did raise some eyebrows and peoples attentions.

In the Semi finals, 4 teams were put aside against each other. The dynamic duo made it to the finals, having the semi-finalists putting up a futile fight. The finals however was in a totally different league. Donning the Team GNR8 jerseys, they march on to the court with pride. However, Bung Taufik and Jester lost the first set 21-18. Nevertheless, with heads held high, they managed to regain their momentum by winning the second set 21-16. The 3rd set was as epic as the move "300" itself, standing against all odds to the might of the titans. Both teams crept up the scoreboard point by point, inch by inch. to the point where Jester had an unexpected leg cramp (must've been the voodoo i cast on them earlier.....hehe) just as the score went to 20-18. However, with just a magic spray, they fought on and even managed to get into a deuce. By this point, people were starting to chatter their teeths as to who would win this tournament. Amazingly, against all odds they managed to return an explosive smash and score a 1 point lead. In the end, with the might of team GNR8, surpassing the Spartans, they won the game with 2 point lead, winning the gold medal. It was really an epic battle, having the outcome deserving of the performance they had shown today. Now, i'll crawl back to my loser corner, basking myself in the self pity of my own inability........"

Mirage268.......aka Arip