2014 JIM POOLE CLASSIC Badminton Tournament

January 25, 2014

January 25, AZBC, Mesa...

In honor of U.S. badminton legend, Arizona resident and AZBC member, our annual Open and Masters Classic has been named the JIM POOLE Badminton Classic. Jim won some 75 U.S. national titles from 1958 - 1995 in singles, doubles and mixed doubles! He was also a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher at San Diego State University in the mid-1950s, played on the U.S. Pan American basketball team, was a university professor, and a highly regarded NFL referee for 20 years. At his peak in the early 1960s, Jim was ranked in the top 5 in the world. He was a fierce competitor known for his precise, deceptive, and powerful left-handed shots. Jim continues in his retirement years by helping coach at the AZBC HL Badminton Academy and other players of all ages at the AZBC. It was a privilege to have Jim attend the tournament.

The tournament featured Open Women Doubles, Open Men Doubles and Open Mixed Doubles, and 5 Masters doubles and mixed events. In the Open Women Doubles, Californians Jurate Foes and Jacky Myers defeated locals Kiyoko Hashimoto and V Koka in 3 games. Guy Chadwick and Steve Hashimoto beat Seigo Hashimoto and Bui Hoang in the Open Men Doubles, 21-12, 27-25. Bui Hoang and V Koka won the Open Mixed title, 21-11, 21-15 over Hong Hu and Yuko Kawasaki (CA). In the Masters events, Kathy Furtmann and Jurate Foes won the 90 Women Doubles. Anton Kentjana and Colin Taylor (CAN) won the 90 Men Doubles. Cholik Chan and Steve Hashimoto won the 100+ Men Doubles in a 3-way tie giving up the least points. Pedro Garcia and Jurate Foes won the 90 Mixed Doubles. Pedro Garcia and Jacky Myers won the hotly contested 100+ Mixed event.

We concluded with a fantastic tournament meal at Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ in the Tempe Marketplace with Jim Poole co-hosting! We are looking forward to next year's JIM POOLE CLASSIC with even more local and out-of-town players!