1. Shannon Pohl updates

Hello Everyone!

Here is the latest happenings!

I am very excited to have qualified again this year for the World Badminton
Championships in women's singles. I'm the only American singles player to
qualify this year. I will be playing my first match on either Monday or
Tuesday. Originally, I was supposed to play the #9 in the world from England.
This would have been VERY tough. Earlier this year she defeated last year's
World Champion. Lucky for me, there was an error in the original draw and the
organizing committee had to redo the whole thing! Now, I am playing Rachel Van
Cutsen from the Netherlands. Rachel is around #57 in the world. My highest
world ranking ever is #75, and this year my highest was around #100, so you can
see this will be quite the challenge for me! I am very excited about this draw
and I believe I can beat her if I play well!

If you want to keep track of my progress, the website for the 06 World
Championships is Madrid 06 worlds (www.06worlds.com). Also, daily articles will
be written at Internationalbadminton.org (www.internationalbadminton.org).

Also, if you have ever played fantasy football before.. the International
Badminton Federation is now presenting, FANTASY BADMINTON for this World
Championships! QI Badminton Manager 2006 Powered by Sportdreams
(www.badmintonmanager.net) It's free to play and you can manage a team of
world-class badminton players from the list of players who are participating in
the Qi IBF World Championships in Madrid. A virtual budget of $USD175k will be
yours to manage and buy players, so spend wisely. Points will then be scored
based on the actual World Championships results. You can but me to play on your
"fantasy badminton team" for only $5,574! You must act fast if you want to
participate--team's must be chosen before Monday!

In other news, the training here in Denmark has been AMAZING. I'm loving every
minute of it. I have put up a few pictures on my website of the training at the
International Badminton Academy under the "pictures" headline.
www.shannonpohl.com When I return, I can put up some more pictures from
Lithuania, Latvia, and the Worlds.

I am working here as an aupair for a very nice German family who lives in
Copenhagen. This is a big help in my ability to stay and train in Denmark
because I am then able to get free room and board! I do housework and take care
of a 10 year old boy when I'm not training.

Also, I have joined a club team here in Denmark! I will be playing first
singles for the first team of Gladsaxe Søborg Badmintonklub. There is a
newspaper article with a picture up in the "news" section of my website about my
new club! Warning--it's in Danish! I'm working on getting a translation!

Thank you all so much for all your support over the years, and for helping me
qualify for the World Championships again this year!

Please feel free to forward this on to anyone you know who might be interested!

Sincerely,
Shannon Pohl

www.shannonpohl.com

[Thanks to Shannon Pohl for the regular updates!]



2. CHICAGO BADMINTON OPEN THIS WEEKEND!
Saturday Sept. 23rd & Sunday Sept. 24th, 2006
Hinsdale South High School Field House
7401 Clarendon Hills, Darien,
IL(75th Street, West of Route 83)



3. U. of Chicago article
... In addition, there is a smaller, auxiliary gym
where basketball players often fight with a
surprising number of badminton enthusiasts for
coveted court time...

http://maroon.uchicago.edu/o-issue/2006/009743.php

[This is for U. of Chicago students and it shows
how badminton's getting popular. Specially
when they "fight.. for coveted court time."]

[Thanks to Larry for the info!]


4. An article on Seniors playing Badminton in FL:
http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/articles/2006/09/18/lifestyles/lifestyles02.t\
xt


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