For Askö Traun, starting tomorrow (4 p.m.) in the Badminton Bundesliga final at home against Pressbaum, it is about the 16th championship title. The record champions are outsiders in the “Best of 3” series, the other games of which will take place on April 29th and – if necessary – on May 1st with the winner of the regular season in Lower Austria. The Upper Austrians proved that this role suits them in the final two years ago, when they forced a decider after a home defeat away by 4:4 and won the “Golden Set”, which they won again after 4:4 and the “Golden Set”.
“That was the most memorable final I can remember,” says Jürgen Koch, who was there for the first Traun title in 1995. The now 50-year-old will also be active on the field tomorrow – albeit “only” in doubles and mixed. If the 1992 Olympic starter has his way, winning the title is not a must. “Our philosophy is to develop players,” says Koch, who now holds the role of sports director at the Austrian Association (ÖBV).
The Trauner evergreen is not the only association official who actively grabs the bat in this final series. With the Indonesian Adi Pratama and the Malaysian Iskandar Zulkarnain, Pressbaum offers the current national coaches of Austria and Ireland. The Romanian selection coach Florentina Constantinescu is in the squad for the Traun team. “It’s not uncommon for active players to work as coaches in badminton,” says Upper Austria’s state coach Peter Zauner, who is in charge of coaching at Traun but also appears in the list of players. “I’m the joker in case someone gets injured,” says the 39-year-old.
In order for a final surprise to succeed, Traun’s aces have to show themselves from their best side. Above all, their number one: Collins Filimon, who, however, was recently ill. “I’ll be ready on Saturday,” he promises.
Source: Nachrichten
