Freshman Shawn Wong dominates on the badminton court

By Matt Wah
Staff Writer

Technique, elegance and power are the characteristics of an accomplished badminton player. Freshman Shawn Wong possesses all of these qualities in extraordinary amounts, and he will be taking the number-one spot on Costa’s badminton team.

Wong’s introduction to badminton was nothing out of the ordinary. It is his determination that places him ahead of the rest when competing on the badminton court.

“It all started when a friend suggested that I try out badminton at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club. At first it was really casual messing around on the court, but as time went on I took the sport more seriously,” Wong said.

As he began to get the hang of the sport, Wong practiced with his father to learn the basics and smooth out the foundation for his transition to more advanced play.

“During the school year, I practice five times a week,” Wong said. “My practice varies between private lessons, group lessons and matches with college students. However, my most intense practice is during the summer when I practice every day of the week except for Sunday.”

Wong’s practice sessions have paid off in national and international competitions. Currently in the 17-and-under age group, Wong places in the top nine badminton players in the nation. This past summer, Wong took first place in the Manhattan Beach National Tournament. Although he remains very focused on the court, he still has fun playing every opponent he faces.

“I love moving around the court quickly and getting to every shot. One reason I enjoy badminton is because it is fun to make things look easy when they are actually incredibly difficult,” Wong said, “It is also fun to force my opponents to work harder than I am and run them around the court.”

Since few local students perform at such a high level of play, Wong was introduced to two renouned badmiton sensations: fellow Costa standout Allen Hsu and former Mustang and U.S. Olympic team member Isabel Zhong.

“I’ve known them for a while. When I first played with them it motivated me to work hard to catch up to them. I still hit with Allen at the club. We are evenly matched,” Wong said.

Wong’s recent success in tournaments shows his determination to improve his game.

“Shawn has trained very hard and deserves every medal that he wins. Behind the effortless play is hours of hard work and dedication. He constantly finds ways to improve his game and challenge himself,” Zhong said. “Shawn has a bright future ahead of him in both junior and future adult tournaments.”

Wong’s finesse and skill on the court have already sparked the interest of colleges and left him thinking about a future career in badminton.

“At this time it is too early to decide. I’m only a freshman and I have plenty of time to worry about college,” Wong said. “So far I have heard that USC and UCLA have competitive badminton teams, but it isn’t that big of a sport for most universities. It’s a shame badminton is not very popular around here.”