It is a snowy cold Saturday morning in December and two guys from Knoxville are getting ready for a car ride. Behind the wheel is a 30-year-old man named Junjun Deng.
“Lisa is in the final,” he screams excited as he hangs up the phone.
Junjun Deng is together with Luca Giancardo on their way to Charlotte, North Carolina, to support three of their teammates from the College Badminton Club at University of Tennessee. The club lives an anonymous life far from hype and publicity but its members practice two to three times a week and meets even more often than that.
“There is a very good atmosphere in this club,” says Junjun Deng who has played badminton for several years.
“Actually it is the best club I have tried. People are very down-to-earth and the best players also want to play with newcomers. That is quite unique and not common at all,” he explains while driving.
Junjun Deng would also have liked to play the tournament but unfortunately had to work Friday.
“Now I want to support the team,” he proclaims.
Talking into a cell phone next to him a troubled look descends upon Luca Giancardo’s face.
“Do not worry we will soon be there to cheer you up,” reassures Luca Giancardo as he hangs up the phone and proclaims in a somewhat disappointed tone:
“Chris failed.”
During the three-plus hour ride to North Carolina the phone rings several times to update the two on the status of some of the matches. For none-club members it might seem strange to travel that distance just to watch some amateurs play Badminton.
“We get to see another place together with people we like,” Luca Giancardo explains of the motives for his and Junjun Deng’s trip.
“That is what team spirit is about,” he adds.
24-year old Luca Giancardo began playing badminton just a couple of weeks ago.
“I heard Chris (Mann) talking about the club and it sounded so great that I just wanted to be a part of it,” he says, then laughing:
“It is definitely not because I am a major talent or anything.”
Junjun Deng parks the car in front of the high school where the tournament is being held. The “Charlotte Open” is to all ages and the gym is packed with people decked out in training suits, skirts and shorts. In the hallway people are warming up without a net hitting the birdie with each other.
Chris Mann spots Junjun Deng entering the gym and shouts,
“Hey, is that our masseuse arriving,” Junjun Deng chuckles at the remark and replies,
“As long as I do not have to be naked!”
Badminton is the fastest racquet sport in the world and the birdie can reach 200 mph. After two days with intense matches and little sleep 29-year old Chris Mann is marked.
“They forced me to have some drinks yesterday night,” he complains,
“I practically fell asleep with one in my hand.”
He and Lisa Döring are still in the mixed double tournament but otherwise, Lisa is the only one who made it to the final.
Chris Mann, who is also the closest you come to a coach in the college club, tries to explain the essence of the Badminton club.
“We are not that competitive. Do not get me wrong I do not like to loose but the main thing in our club is to have fun. We make a lot of social gatherings during the week. It is definitely not only for practice we meet.”
Like Junjun Deng, Chris Mann tells about the way the better players share their tips and talent with new people in the club.
“I have played for many years, and also other sports and this is special,” he says.
Because of final exams only three UT-players signed in for the tournament, but Chris Mann emphasizes that anyone who felt like it could have participated. The club normally makes about three tournament trips during a semester.
Chris and Lisa win relatively easy the first mixed double and give sweaty high-fives to the supporters. While they are waiting for their next match, Lisa Döring tries to explain what in particular that draws the team together.
“The sport of course, we all like badminton and can talk about that, but I also have to say the social aspect,” she says,
“We are not that competitive. Very often we go out for dinner after practice. It is like we all have the same point of view; we want to compete but we want the social even more.”
The team has participated in many activities at social gatherings including: hiking, mini-golf, dinners and laser race.
“Even if our courts get cancelled because of some arrangement or stuff we meet, and do something else like racquetball, table-tennis or something,” she says and adds,
“I have been in several clubs both in Germany and US and this one was the easiest to get in to.”
The social aspect put aside none of the two Tennessee-players are satisfied when they loose third round of the mixed double tournament. Lisa stares blankly and takes sips of water, while Junjun Deng tells her what she did wrong to prepare her for the final later.
Although badminton is the second most popular sport in the World the sport is not a major sport in US, thus the UT Badminton Clubs around forty players are mostly foreigners, illustrated well by the players that made the trip to Charlotte; Junjun from China, Rakesh from India, Luca from Italy, Chris from England, and Lisa from Germany.
“We are almost all internationals and that really creates a lot of fun. Because we always talk about how specific things are in India, Tanzania, Germany or wherever and we all realize that things can be done or said in many different ways because we are so different,” Lisa Döring says.
In the end no UT-player wins the title. Lisa plays a tied final but looses in two set but as Junjun Deng puts it afterwards,
“Lisa was clearly the best player she deserved to win.”
Despite the disappointment the car does not return home to Knoxville yet. In the evening the whole team goes out to eat together and to make plans for next week’s arrangements. Christmas is coming up and the badminton team must plan a celebration that will pay tribute to the fantastic year that they have had.
