Mt Albert Badminton Club

2010 is the 50th anniversary of the ABA hall at Gillies Avenue. Coincidentially is is also the 80th anniversary of the incorporation of the Auckland Badminton Association. On the weekend of Friday 10th and Saturday 11th September, ABA is planning a celebratory reunion which will naturally incorporate a competition. This will take the form of a round robin on the Saturday.

The outline of the weekend is:

Friday evening Sept 10 MEET and GREET

From 6pm to 8pm an under U13’s competition will be held with a selection of that age group from all the clubs in the Association. The meet and greet will be held in the café and the lounge outside the ProShop. Finger food, tea and coffee will be provided free but we ask all those attending to donate a ‘gold coin’ for the Auckland Juniors going to the North Island Championships in Palmerston North in 2011. All friends of the ABA both young and old are welcome to attend. It is also a good opportunity to see the young badminton talent that is going to be the future of our sport in Auckland.

Saturday 11th will be a round robin

We will be holding a round robin teams competition with Juniors, Seniors, Masters, Vets and SuperVets. This event is being organized by Richard Purser and starts at 9.00am finishing at 4.00pm. In 1960 the ABA had three sub associations:- North Shore, Waitemata and Franklin. It is planned that we will all have three ties each and the tie between North Harbour and Auckland will be the ‘Battle of the Bridge” which Auckland currently hold.

Saturday evening 11th:

The Sorrento has been booked for a celebratory dinner for 7.00pm with a 3 course dinner and entertainment with the odd speech thrown in. This is an opportunity to catch up with past friends, have a laugh and generally enjoy the past 50 years of Auckland Badminton. The cost is $50.00 per person but if you form a group and book a table of 10 it is $45.00 per person. You must book by the 27th August for the dinner reservation.

Commemorative Book

The ABA is well underway in producing a book to celebrate the 50 years of the stadium and the clubs in the association. Sarah Gordon has been collecting this information and all clubs would have already sent their history to her as the last day was Monday 19th July. The quality produced A5 book of 48 pages will be a comprehensive review of the last 50 years of all clubs in the Association and will be a great read for those wanting to have a record of the ABA during those years. The cost of the book will be $10.00 each.

To ensure that you are part of the 50th Anniversary event you should register as soon as you can as numbers are filling fast online at www.AuckBadEvents.co.nz

Commemorative Poster

The senior club handicaps singles competition will be held on Sunday 4 July and the doubles / combines competition on Sunday 11 July at the Mt Albert centre, starting at 16:00 and running through to 19:00.

This competition is open to all senior financial members. Any junior members wanting to play should discuss this with Adrian or Angus.

There will be a single $5 entry fee covering the singles, doubles and combines competitions payable before you play on either Sunday.

You can now play on Thursday nights as well. It is at Mt. Albert Grammar School in Alberton Ave. The courts are in the gymnasium which is situated at the back of the Phillips Aquatic Centre. Play is from 7pm til 9.45pm, on the following Thursdays: 29 April, 6 13 20 27 May and 3 June. Parking is either in front of the pool or on the road. This is free to members but the usual $10 fee applies to visitors.

Challengers Cup Entry Form for April 25th 2010.

You’ll be disappointed if you forget

2010 membership form as PDF
2010 membership form as Microsoft Word Document

Sunday 28th March is coaching night with Kevin and Stephanie (Auckland reps). They will provide coaching for singles, doubles and mixed. Plus there will be some fun competitions. See you there!

Some exhibition players will be coming to the club Tuesday 16th February. The juniors can see them from 5:30-7:00pm and the Seniors from about 7:40pm to 9:30pm. Options include exhibition matches, smashing competitions, fun games etc etc. I saw one a Roadshow visit a couple of years ago and they are not to be missed.

This Sunday is Valentine’s Day so, according to Adrian, if you are coming to badminton you are single! Perhaps Adrian will give you a box of chocolates if you turn up and tell him the code phrase “The kumara pie is delicious tonight”. Or possibly not.

Opening Night for 2010 is on 7pm Tuesday 2nd February at Mt Albert YMCA.

If you are an existing member from 2009 your membership is still valid for the start of 2010. We look forward to you all returning for another year.

If you are new to the area or wishing to take up the sport we do welcome new members. Please feel free to come along, pay a casual fee or buy a membership now that will be valid through till the start of 2011.