The Men’s Team is bursting with new talent this season, with another new duo rocking up to court
By Katie Garner
l-r: Binu and Het in battle mode
After we had a complete re-shuffle of our Men’s Team after last season, we knew that we had produced a kick-ass team of competitive super smashers who could hopefully drag us out of Division 4. Het has been a regular feature in the Wychelm Squad for the past couple of years, playing in our Mixed Team as well as the Men’s with great success. This year though, we have paired him with a new partner, Binu, who he actually introduced to the club.
Binu is a relatively new member, only officially joining us last September, but this hasn’t stopped him stepping up to the league match plate with gusto, matching Het’s muscular strength in his smash and his vitality for movement with his own style of elegant play, which includes a variety of floating movements and his own smashing skills that make the net quiver.
Being friends off court has undoubtedly already helped cement their partnership on court, and since they also play together away from the club, they are also quite an experienced twosome – and since good teamwork is half the battle, this is great news for us. Individually they are fantastically strong players, with Het winning The Roadrunner Award in our 2011 Wychelm Christmas Awards for his speedy and succinct movements.
Together, their game play in enhanced and I have every confidence that they will take their thundering smashes and plonk them all over Division 4 like a series of chicken pox scars on the poor battered sport centre flooring. Two powerful and tactical players, but also polite, fun and entertaining to play with, Het and Binu definitely have my vote for some wins this season.
Het’s best shot: His killer smash. We have a lot of big smashers at Wychelm, but Het’s stands out as truly unbeatable.
Binu’s best shot: Although I don’t know Binu’s play as well, I would have to say his sneakier shots are definitely an asset. He plays a lot of trick shots with deceptive movements, and that is something I envy a great deal (being rather unsubtle myself).