An extrovert with his nickname, Sweetness, Thunder, scrawled on the heels of his court shoes, Vancouverite Nathan Choi gains an edge over the competition by introducing himself to opponents.
"Just seeing them, talking with them and seeing how they train will help," said the 17year-old badminton player, speaking from the Isle of Man where he's competing this weekend in the Commonwealth Youth Games.
It may be strategic but it's also a natural move for the friendly, chatty athlete. "Learning their story sometimes can also bring confidence. I'm always usually the most talkative or the loudest on a team or always trying to have fun and am joking around," said Choi.
Against opponents from powerhouse countries like India, China and Malaysia, Choi knows he stands to benefit from any encounter, from a quick hello, to a longer conversation or even nothing more than observation, said the 2010 Canadian U16 boys doubles champion.
The international competition gives Choi an advantage for future tournaments, and he has his sights set on the World Junior Championships late next month in Chinese Taipei.
But nothing beats being tested by the best. "Playing against the top countries and playing in different venues can help me," said Choi, who returns to Vancouver next week to begin Grade 12 at Magee high school.
Choi and doubles partner Nyl Yakura from Pickering, Ont. face a Scottish duo today in the opening round of 16. In order to meet his goal and bring Commonwealth hard-ware back from the small Manx island, Choi and Yakura must advance to the semi-final round, where they will almost surely meet the Malaysian junior world champions.
Choi is confident they will at least advance to challenge the Malaysian pair. "Looking at the draw this time, I have a good chance of getting a medal," he said. "Malaysia and India are favourites for badminton."
He hasn't played the Malaysian teens before but anticipates seeing them again and very soon this fall when the world's best junior badminton players meet.
Choi speaks fluent Cantonese and always wears red in final matches, "like Tiger Woods," trains with Ronne Maykel Runtulalo, a former world top-ten men's doubles player with the Indonesian national team.
This summer Choi brought home a team gold from the Western Canada Summer Games where B.C. was favoured to win the badminton event. On the world stage, Canada is solidly ranked in the middle of the pack.
"We're not an underdog, but were not a favourite at the same time," said Choi, who earned the Sweetness of his nickname from his playful gift of gab and Thunder from his demonstrated back court power.
Excited and focused on the prospect of meeting the Malaysian champions in a goldmedal qualifying match, Choi mentions a previously little known Guatemalan player who upset the No. 5 ranked player in the world.
"Knowing that anything can happen on any day, you have to believe you can do it," he said.
