Badminton phenom mature beyond his years

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This article was published 03/05/2024 (838 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Anson Chen’s not worried about meeting his own lofty expectations, only exceeding them.

The Grade 9 student-athlete from St. Paul’s High School is making his debut in the Manitoba High School Athletic Association’s provincial varsity boys badminton championship this week.

Chen, who has competed against much older teens since he was 11, posted an unblemished 7-0 record through Thursday’s pool play to qualify for Saturday’s playoffs. His mission goes beyond just this spring.

“I just want to win the whole thing four years in a row,” he said.

Chen’s older brother, Evan, the premier U19 men’s singles player in the province, won the provincial varsity boys title in 2023.

Now, Anson, the top U17 men’s singles and doubles player in Manitoba, is trying to do his brother one better by winning it as a 14 year old.

“I’m gonna quote (Anson and Evan’s) parents,” said Raj Sharma, a coach at St. Paul’s who worked with Evan for two years before Anson. “They told me two years ago that as good as his older brother was, they thought (Anson) was going to be better. Whether that comes to fruition will be completely up to Anson and the work he puts in but he’s a great kid, he’s got a great work ethic, he loves the game and he wants to take those next steps, which is the biggest thing.”

Anson has the makings of a dominant player for a long time. Ranked No. 20 among U17 players in Canada, he’s made waves on the national scene for years. In February, he won the Pal Chawla Junior Open at the Winnipeg Winter Club.

He started playing at seven years old and credits much of his early success to his first coach, Thien Bao Vo, and a trip to Malaysia in 2022. He spent eight months studying badminton and learning from renowned instructors in the Asian country.

“At a young age, we thought it would be good for me to see the other side of things. The education and everything is different,” Anson said. “It was really eye-opening because, in Canada, it’s really different from Asia because it’s more competitive (in Asia). It gives you a different insight.

“I try to (remember) most of it,” he added of his training. “It kept me going.”

Sharma said the young player’s attitude might be his greatest attribute.

“It’s hard to believe he’s only in Grade 9,” Sharma said. “He’s mature beyond his years, you can tell by the way he handles himself, the way he plays, the way he is on the court with opponents. He plays in a very respectful, sportsmanlike way, even though he goes out there and he’s a killer on the court.”

Sharma has seen what it takes to play badminton at the highest level. He played for Manitoba’s provincial team for 15 years and spent time on the National Grand Prix, training with Jaimie Dawson and Anil Kaul, two of the best players to come from Canada.

For Anson to make the next step, Sharma said he will need to continue working on his fitness and match toughness.

“For as much as he’s trained in his young life, he still loves coming out and playing and wants to get better and that’s the biggest thing,” Sharma said.

“It’s a lonely sport… you win for you but you lose for you, as well, and learning how to come back and keep going is a part of it and he loves the sport so much that I think he’ll do really well because he’s not deterred by the hard work that it takes.”

Anson’s eyes are on the present and future. Along with his aspirations in high school, he’s hoping to one day compete at the world junior badminton championship.

“It was a hobby that is really competitive,” Anson said. “But now, the hobby has turned into an actual career that I can benefit from.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam