Orville Yu and Karyn Velez of the Blue and Lady Shuttlers

kill (badminton)
-noun

a fast, downward shot that is forcefully hit and/or perfectly placed that it cannot be returned.

Like the term “kill,” Badminton Team Captains Orville Yu (IV BS Hsc) and Karyn Velez (I AB Psy) are driven by decisiveness, passion, and precision.

Early start
Karyn, also known as Chibby, recalls first holding a racquet at the tender age of six. It took her about four years of training to get a good grip of the sport. She attributes part of her success to the man who believed in her potential, Coach Nelson Asuncion, the father of her current coach Kennie Asuncion.

“As a kid, I used to watch my dad and his friends play, and I figured I wanted to try it out for myself. At first, I couldn’t even hit the shuttlecock. I had no coordination, no strength, and no speed. But my coach [Nelson] and I persevered and trained hard. He saw that I was determined to excel. I never let go of the racquet after that,” says Karyn.

She competed for the first time in 2001, in the National Batang Pinoy Championships held in Bacolod. Children from across the archipelago flocked to the event. She won gold in girls’ singles, silver in mixed doubles, and bronze in the team event, on her way to becoming the Most Valuable Player in her first tournament ever. She successfully defended her MVP title the following year and won three gold medals.

Smash hit
Karyn began competing overseas in 2005 as a member of the national team. Just within the last eight months, she has represented the country in competitions in Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, defeating higher-ranked players and setting records. In August of 2008, she was ranked first in the Philippines in the Ladies’ Singles Event.

Despite her superstar status, Karyn recognizes that she is not yet a complete player. She admits to be currently working extra hard to improve her speed and endurance.

Meanwhile, her powerful smash, great shot-selection, variety of techniques, and physical and mental toughness continue to give her an advantage over her opponents. Karyn adds that her coach claims that she has a unique fighting spirit that sets her apart from other players. “I don’t give up. I fight to the finish,” she says.

Strength and resolve
The men’s team captain, Orville Yu, shares a similar kind of determination. Coming from a grueling session of physical therapy, and heading to Asuncion Badminton Clinic, where the team trains, Orville is working hard to comeback from an injury last year. Despite the semestral break, his everyday routine includes practices in the morning, physical therapy in the early afternoon, and practice once again in the late afternoon. One cannot help but notice the determination and hard work he has done in preparation for tournaments, and because of his love for the sport.

Orville likes the chances of the team this year, but is quick not to make hasty generalizations. “Our trainings are a lot more rigid, and we are stricter with attendance.” Also, Orville mentions that their coach, one of the Philippines’ best badminton players, is a lot more focused on the training of the team, partly because she has no upcoming tournaments to be worried about.

As the captain of the men’s team, Orville is very supportive of his fellow teammates. He has created a Yahoo! Group for the team. It became a venue for sharing and communication, including things like which subjects to take or which professors to avoid. “As a captain, I just want to be there for my teammates,” he says. “I also remind my players to fix their schedules so that there won’t be any long breaks, and that we could all train at the same time,” he adds.

The future
While the prospect of becoming a full-time athlete is very enticing, Orville has a different ambition in mind. Being a Health Sciences senior, he plans to give it all up and head towards medical school. It may be a painful decision, but he has other dreams and aspirations in life.

Right now, with so much talent and potential, as well as even more accomplishments and competitions ahead of them, Orville and Karyn have a lot more to prove and achieve, in and out of badminton.