Filipino News CRazy Rich Asians 2018

BUHAY
NZ
02 SPORTS NEWS ISSUE 117 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News M: 027 495 8477
THE COST OF COMPETING
CAN BECOME A BURDEN
By MEL FERNANDEZ
New Zealand’s first Pinay
badminton superstar
needs support to achieve
her big dream.
AUCKLAND - Roanne
Apalisok’s meteoric rise
to the No.1 ranking for
her age in New Zealand
badminton has come at a
price. Her family has had
to shoulder astronomical
costs to fund her big
dream of becoming a
world champion.
The 14-year-old student
at Botany Downs College,
who was born in the
Philippines, says that she
is “passionately involved
in playing badminton as
my sport. I aim to pursue
this sport as a professional
career and to become a
world champion.”
Her family has been
very supportive of her
love and passion for the
game.
“Badminton is popular
in the Philippines, but it is
not the #1 sport - basketball
has that honour,”
says her dad, Gammy
Apalisok, 45.
“I’ve participated in
badminton competitions
back home and when I
first arrived in New
Zealand, so I guess that
this sport is in my daughter’s
DNA.
“She first picked up a
racket when she was six
years old and played competitively
when she was
eight.”
Her coach Ritchie Marr
says: "In my 27 years of
coaching I have never
seen such a committed
young athlete.”
Roanne is now one of
the top badminton players
in the country and her
fourth opportunity to represent
New Zealand overseas
is at the Australian
Junior International in
Perth in September this
year.
The cost of these overseas
trips has stretched
the family budget and
they’ve had to fundraise
using the ‘Give a Little’
page.
“When kids show sporting
promise it can cost a
lot to keep them in it,”
says Gammy. “She is seriously
thinking of pursuing
this sport as her
career. She has already
expressed interest in
training overseas, but our
current financial capability
is just not enough to
support her desire.
“Her long-term goal is
to win world championships
and possibly the
Olympics. She has been
training hard almost
seven days a week. But to
realize this dream we
need some financial support
to cover her training
expenses, including transport
costs from our home
in East Auckland to
Massey for regular highperformance
training,
overseas travel and
accommodation costs,
gear, medical bills and lots
more. In New Zealand
badminton training, unlike
sports like rugby, is
not subsidised.
“Since badminton is not
a popular sport here it's
been a struggle for us to
find sponsors for her. I’ve
been writing to most of
the companies in the
country, but they are
more interested in supporting
rugby, netball and
cricket, but unfortunately
not badminton.
“I know that this will
ROANNE APALISOK, 14:
“I aim to pursue this sport
(badminton) as a professional career
and to become a world champion.”
still be a long journey for
her,” concludes Gammy.
“But with perseverance
and the public’s kind help
she will be on her way to
her destination.”
Roanne’s meteoric rise to
No.1 ranking for her age in NZ
for the Badminton
New Zealand U15
National Squad
when I was 11; this
squad is made up of
a selection of elite
junior players from
all over the country.
“In 2015 I won
National titles both
for Girls Singles
and Girls Doubles
and placed second
in the Mixed
Doubles in the
N a t i o n a l
Championships for
U13.”
Roanne is now a
member of the New
Zealand U19
national squad and
Roanne Apalisok (right)
“One of my coaches, Ji
Hyun Marr, a world champion
herself (former World
Number two), is my inspiration,”
Roanne Apalisok
revealed to FMN.
“At the age of nine I started
winning club tournaments
and eventually progressed
to win New Zealand
Badminton sanctioned
tournaments. I was selected
she recently won
the 2018 Yonex
National Championships
in U19 girls doubles. She
participates in both the
Junior and Senior Divisions.
She ranks 1st in the U19
girls singles, girls doubles
and mixed doubles open categories
and 2nd in the U17
girls singles. She is ranked
3rd in the women’s Senior
Division in New Zealand.
“In 2016 and 2017 I was
selected to represent and
play for New Zealand in the
Trans-Tasman Test Series
in Sydney and won the Girls
Singles Title against the
Australians in two consecutive
years,” adds Roanne.
“Last April I went to
Indonesia and represented
New Zealand in the
Pembangunan Jaya Raya
Grand Prix. And from Sept
9-16 I will be in Perth,
Australia, to play for the
Asia Pacific Trophy 2018
(team event) and the
Australian Juniors International
(individual
event).”
In November Roanne has
been selected to represent
the country at the World
Junior Championships in
Ontario, Canada.
This is a not-to-be-missed
opportunity to realise her
dream of participating in an
international contest. The
family has to raise $5,000 to
cover the travel costs, meals
and allowance for the trip.
To donate or for more
information please contact
Gammy Apalisok on gammyapalisok@yahoo.com.