Kiwi Pairs up with Olympic Medalist at Skycity NZ Open 28 Apr 2015
Related articles
- Niki Roderick Extends Depth To New Zealand Record Sport
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- All Whites claim historic point Sport
- Prime Minister to travel to South Africa News
- Snow on The Remarkables Living
- Team Selected for Ultimate Ride Jet-ski Sport
- Trubridge Triumphs With Unassisted Freedive Record Sport
- New Zealand 2011 Business Club launched Business
- 300 feet down: two bare feet and one breath of air Living
- Wyatt claims title Sport
Oliver Leydon-Davis is no stranger to flying the flag for New Zealand badminton, he has been amongst the leading group of players for the past 4 or 5 years now, typically in partnership with his long time mate Kevin Dennerly-Minturn in men’s doubles and younger sister Susannah Leydon-Davis in mixed doubles competition.
His appearance at the SKYCITY New Zealand badminton Open at the North Shore Events Centre this week will however signal a marked change in his career. The 24 year old has moved his base from Europe to Asia, taking up a 2-year contract with X-TRM Sporting Goods and in the process finds himself playing alongside brand new partners, this week partnering an Olympic Games medalist.
The Waikato product is training in Taiwan with 5-6 other men's doubles players, and Ruud Bosch from the Netherlands, a Dutch international representative since 2006, who is coaching and also playing. Leydon-Davis admits the challenge of the new contract and opportunity was as much mental as physical, with the offer coming right after he had made a call to return home to New Zealand and the very real possibility of a ‘real job’.
“The move away again has been fine, the challenge was more making the decision to go against my original plans and roll the dice again. The offer came out of the blue in December last year, so off I went and spent January in Taiwan as a trial month and really enjoyed it and made the decision to give it a shot.
“But yes there are a lot of differences here to being in Europe, which has taken some getting used to. But the best part - and also the most difficult challenge so far has been being the player in the group with the lowest on-court skill level. So it's great, because I'm tested every day and forced to get better to be competitive.”
And after years spent building a partnership with Dennerly-Minturn (who himself has returned to New Zealand to pursue other career options), Leydon-Davis admits that finding a new fulltime partner is not proving easy and will pair up with Beijing Olympic Games bronze medalist Lee Jae Jin (KOR).
“Nothing has been confirmed yet for a new long term playing partner, the SKYCITY New Zealand Open will be my 3rd tournament and 3rd different partner. It's been a real trial period so far to try and find what's going to work best. The language barrier is something else that needs to be overcome, but as always with a well prepared and thought out plan it can be minimised. Performances so far have been okay, no great results yet though.”
What chances then of a ‘breakthrough’ performance at his home SKYCITY New Zealand Open?
“First and foremost the goal is to play well. We have a tough draw with Chinese opponents first up, although I played against one of them in a China Challenge back in January. It will be good to come out on top this time, but it will be difficult as always. Most of all I'm looking to enjoy playing on home court again and that will go a long way to producing my best badminton.”
And longer term Leydon-Davis is not counting anything out, including a tilt at a second Commonwealth Games and possibly the Olympics in 2020.
“It is difficult to say specifically at this stage what the long term future is to be honest. I'm doing everything I can to be in the best shape possible for a crack at 2018/2020. Without putting numbers/specifics on it right now this opportunity (with X-TRM in Asia) is the best that is available to me at the moment so I'm going to take it with both hands and make the most of my chance to become the best that I can. If I do that, I'll be in the best position to produce my highest level when the time comes. But until then I've got a lot of work to do to start pushing towards semi-finals and finals of international challenge and higher tournaments, and contribute to the New Zealand team by becoming the best that I can.”
Leydon-Davis’ former partner Kevin Dennerly-Minturn is partnering Australian Robin Middleton in the men’s doubles and faces the 7th seeds from Indonesia in the opening round.
The men’s singles main draw features eight Kiwis while the women’s singles will see five New Zealanders hoping to progress into the latter stages of the tournament, all though face tough opposition if they are to progress in a high quality field.
The youngest player in the tournament is Tamara Otene (North Harbour) and at just over 14 years the Westlake Girls High student will have every reason to be nervous about her first round match. Otene was given a free pass into the main draw from qualifying thanks to some withdrawals in what is a great opportunity for the youngster. Other Kiwis to pick up late entries into the main draw include Vicki Copeland, Soomi Lina Lee and Gaea Mari Galvez.
New Zealanders in the main draw at the SKYCITY New Zealand Badminton Open
Qualifying was played out today, Tuesday 28th. Championship rounds start on Wednesday 29th April. All games at the North Shore Events Centre.
Men’s Doubles: Oliver Leydon-Davis & Lee Jae Jin (KOR), Kevin Dennerly-Minturn & Robin Middleton (AUS), Maoni Hu He & Kent Palmer, Abhinav Manota & Dylan Soedjasa
Men’s Singles: Maika Phillips, Dylan Soedjasa, Brock Matheson, Callum Harfield, Kent Palmer, Jonathan Curtin, Abhinav Manota, Maoni Hu He
Women’s Doubles: Emma Chapple & Danielle Tahuri, Annika Horbach GER & Maria Mata Masinipeni, Sally Fu & Christine Zhang, Erena Calder-Hawkins & Selena Wu, Gaea Mari Galvez & Tamara Otene, Tiffany Ho (AUS) & Angie Leung, Vicki Copeland & Anona Pak, Kelly Stern & Justine Villegas, Alyse Derby & Rebecca Goddard, Soomi Lina Lee & Kylie Luo
Women’s Singles: Alyse Derby, Tamara Otene, Vicki Copeland, Soomi Lina Lee, Gaea Mari Galvez
Mixed Doubles: Joe Wu & Hung Shih Han (TPE), Brock Matheson & Angie Leung, Shane Thomas Masinipeni & Maria Mata Masinipeni, Kevin James Dennerly-Minturn & Danielle Tahuri, Maika Phillips & Anona Pak
Tournament facts and stats:
256 players - 30 currently ranked inside the top 50 in the world - former Olympic and World Championship medalists - current and former world junior champions - 22 countries represented - 54 players Indonesia - 27 Malaysia - 19 China - 13 Japan - 120 volunteers - US$120,000 prize money (richest tournament ever in NZ) - Grand Prix Gold status - Broadcast to over 50 countries - Estimated viewing audience of 220 million plus
SKYCITY NZ Open
Date: April 28 to May 3
Prize money: USD$120,000
Venue: North Shore Events Centre
TV broadcast: Sky Sport NZ and globally through IMG to over 50 countries and an estimated viewing audience of 220 million
Sponsors: SKYCITY, One Pure – official water supplier, X-TRM – official equipment and apparel supplier, ATEED
Website: www.nzbadmintonopen.com
ends
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more