The winning team, SOCCOM players are in green shirts whereas those in front in blue shirts are players from PDM. Those at the back are members of the organizing team
By Michael Kimin Guntili
Dec 8 2023
INANAM – SOCCOM Badminton Team B of St Catherine Inanam emerged as the champion after beating nine other teams in the inaugural Parish Badminton Tournament held on the weekend of Oct 29 – Nov 5.
The tournament officiated by parish priest Fr David Sham, was organized by the Sport, Social & Recreation Committee of St Catherine. Ten badminton teams had registered in the tournament representing two chapels – St Paul Kionsom Kecil and St Mary Kionsom, three Catholic communities (KUK) – Kg Nountun, Kg Bambangan and PDM which is a combination of Kg Pomotodon, Kg Dambai and Kg Malaka, and five church communities – SOCCOM A, SOCCOM B, Catechetical, Warden and Youth Ministry.
Each team has a minimum of 10 players comprised a pair of youth aged 18-29, a pair of senior players aged 30-49, a pair of veteran players aged 50 and above, a pair of women players and a mixed double of all ages.
SOCCOM Badminton Team B won the game after winning three pairs of the games based on 31 points.
The Winning Trophies and Prizes were jointly presented to the winners by the Pastoral Council Chairman, Paul Augustine, and the tournament Organizing Chairman, Laurentius Kopong at around 11.00pm Nov 5 at Fr Dapoz Badminton Hall here.
The Organizing Committee has affirmed their commitment to make the tournament an annual event to encourage sportmanship between the various church communities, Chapels and Catholic communities from various villages.
The tournament’s commentary by Michael Guntili:
The 10 teams were placed in two groups, A and B, with five teams in each group. The game was played using a league system within the respective group. The top two teams in each group moved into the semi-final whereas the other three were removed.
After the league system was completed, PDM won the top spot in Group A with 12 points and won all its league matches. The second placing went to SOCCOM B with nine points posing one game to PDM in the league matches.
SOCCOM A on the other hand won the top position in Group B with 12 points. They have won all four games in the league matches, followed by Catechetical with nine points.
Based on tournament rules, the top in Group A will meet the second in Group B whereas the top in Group B will meet the runner up in Group A. Based on this ruling, SOCCOM A met SOCCOM B in the first semi-final whereas PDM met Catechetical in the second semi-final.
Surprisingly SOCCOM B beat SOCCOM A 3-1 in the semi-final whereas PDM beat Catechetical 3-1 in the other semi-final. In the semi-final and final round, the team who managed to win three pairs will be declared as the winner and the remaining pairs are deemed irrelevant.
In the final tournament, both SOCCOM B and PDM took a rematch. Although most players predicted that PDM will edge SOCCOM B by repeating a similar victory as in the first encounter, SOCCOM B with “never give up spirit ” had proved them wrong! SOCCOM B won with 3-1 scores against PDM who had earlier beaten them 3-2 in the league.
