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Brian Haddad began playing badminton long before many Americans even begin playing baseball. Growing up in Jamaica, Haddad took up the sport when he was three. “I could barely hold a racket,” he said.
Then, when they were teenagers, he met Dudley Chen while playing on the Jamaican national team. On Wednesday, Haddad and Chen took the gold in the men’s 50-54 badminton doubles tournament at the 2009 Senior Games.
Haddad and Chen, both of whom now live in south Florida, did not lose a game the entire tournament and kept that streak alive by defeating Clifton Daley and Boris Reshko, of Ohio and Virginia respectively, in two straight games to claim the gold medal. Haddad and Chen took the first game in a tight 21-18 battle and followed that up with an easy 21-12 win.
“We’re happy to have won. We’ve been training for this,” said Haddad. “We’re just delighted to be able to take home something to the state of Florida and to our club.”
In game one, Haddad and Chen held a slim one-point lead at 13-12, but then won six out of the next seven points to take control of the game. Haddad was crucial in developing that lead, getting several slams to earn points.
However, Daley and Reshko did not simply bow to the big lead and responded with a run of their own, winning five of the next six points. Haddad and Chen were simply too close to the winning 21 point total, and despite Daley and Reshko’s comeback, Haddad ended the game with drop shot.
Daley and Reshko were not able to bring a competitive edge to game two and quickly fell behind 12-4. From that point, Haddad and Chen did not let their lead fall to less than five, and finished off the sweep for the gold medal.
Both Haddad and Chen and Daley and Reshko won twice to reach the gold medal game. In the semifinals, Daley and Reshko had to rally after losing the first game to defeat Chee-Kong Lai, and Wee Tam 15-21, 21-17, 21-14. Haddad and Chen had a much easier time in their semifinal, beating Alexander Latchininsky and Grant Taggard 21-9, 21-12.
After playing together in Jamaica in their teens and twenties, Haddad and Chen met up again when Haddad moved to south Florida five years ago, where Chen has been living for 30 years. “We had similar training and background in the badminton field, so it was very nice…it was just great that we could click and play together,” said Haddad.
This marks the first time Haddad and Chen have played in the Senior Games, though Chen was an administrator at the Senior Games in 2007.
Chen has a lengthy background in badminton. He is a U.S. Certified coach and conducts some private lessons. Chen also plays on his own three times each week, and Haddad plays at least once a week.
■ Senior Games Daily (Aug. 6, 2009) (PDF)
■ 2009 SUMMER NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES
(A compilation of news stories, photos and video content about the 2009 Summer National Senior Games, including online editions of the Senior Games Daily).