An old saying goes, behind every great man is a great women, but in the case of the Douglas College varsity badminton team, there are three of them.
Together Melody Liang, Stephanie Ko and RuiLin Huang are three sound reasons why Douglas has dominated college badminton for the past five seasons.
Between them, the three award-winning athletes have won nine Canadian Colleges’ national badminton titles for Douglas.
Liang holds the lion’s share of silverware, winning four women’s doubles banners with two individual partners, including the last three years with Ko.
Liang, a former Canadian Colleges’ female badminton athlete of the year, also won a senior national title with a different partner.
Ko boasts being named the Douglas College academic athlete for a third straight year.
Meanwhile, Huang has won practically everything in her first two seasons at Douglas. She is currently on a 26-game streak without a defeat this season.
The Burnaby resident will be looking to win a third national collegiate women’s singles title, while also vying to three-peat as the Canadian, provincial and college’s female athlete of the year.
“Athletically, obviously we are very good,” said Douglas College head badminton coach Al Mawani. “But I think what makes them good is their work ethic and having that extra sense ingrained in them with what it takes to win.”
Liang, who grew up in Mainland China, had to learn that lesson when she came to Canada and Douglas five years ago.
So did Ko, a Toronto native, who is entering her fourth and final year at Douglas.
“(Melody’s) instincts and movements are better suited for doubles,” Mawani said. “Melody is the leader. She will always try something. It might not always work, but she never stops trying. Her partner has to be in sync with that, and Stephanie is perfect for her. Stephanie is the quiet one, but inside she is the most compet-itive on the team. She even hates to lose at cards.”
Mawani calls it “that fire within,” but Liang has a better term for it.
“We have evil eyes when we play,” Liang said. “We have been taught to be aggressive. We want to dominate the game and show Douglas is the best.”
Ko says it is about being mentally tough.
“It’s easier to lose than it is to win, but you have to train yourself to tough it out,” Ko added.
Toughing it out is exactly what the Douglas badminton team has been able to do in the past five seasons at the nationals.
Since 2006, Douglas players have garnered a total of 17 gold medals at the Canadian championships, including a five-medal sweep of the gold at the 2007 college nationals.
But the women go above and beyond just playing for their school.
“We have to do a lot of things,” said Ko. “We have to go to school, train five days a week and we have to work. We sacrifice our time a lot. But, I’m glad our success shows our sacrifice.”
The women also help coach at ShuttleSport International badminton academy run by Mawani.
That combination makes the Coquitlam centre one of the strongest badminton clubs in Canada, Mawani said.
The partnership with Douglas has also grown to include Maple Ridge and a centre in Prince George, bringing the total number of junior players learning the sport to more than 400.
As the former technical director of Badminton B.C., Mawani helped develop learn-to-play programs in local schools. He has since built on that foundation.
Douglas grad Alvin Lau, who is currently finishing up an education degree at the University of B.C., is heading up the academy’s school program.
“I feel we have the complete package,” Mawani added.
“They are great for the academy and when needed they’ve helped out ShuttleSport. They are a group I can count on and they are all role models, and that’s key to me.”
Credits go to Burnaby Now.
