Haileybury clinch APS badminton premiership with three sets of brothers

A school badminton team featuring three sets of “enthusiastic and dedicated” brothers has won the ultimate, keeping their stunning win streak alive.

The Haileybury College first badminton team made up of boys ranging from Years 7 to 12, including three sets of brother, has won the APS premiership for the eighth consecutive year.

The brothers, Erik and Evan Rusli, Mike and Jason Gao, and Arvin Jiao and Kevin Dai, went undefeated all season to win the ultimate.

In the final round of the season, the 131-year-old school defeated Melbourne Grammar, 12/24/504 to 0/0/211, to take home the title in emphatic fashion.

Caulfield Grammar finished in second place on the ladder, falling just one win short of Haileybury at the end of the season.

It is a wonderful feat for Haileybury who have won every Badminton premiership since taking home their first in 2016.

Evan, Year 10, said he got a boost from playing with his younger brother Erik.

“I get inspiration from Erik because his talent for the game is unrivalled and we complement each other well,” Evan said.

“We pressure each other to get better at the sport and while I’m very disciplined, Erik is naturally skilled so we bring different qualities to the table.

Haileybury’s winning badminton team. From L-R, Kevin Dai, Mike Gao, Arvin Jiao, Evan Rusli, Jason Gao, Erik Rusli. Picture: Supplied.

“Playing the same sport means we each have a good training partner and we totally trust each other.

“One downside though is that I usually have to pack everything we need for training or a tournament.”

Younger brother Erik, Year 9, detailed how he prepared for matches alongside his brother.

“Before matches we relax together by playing video games and watching YouTube and we make sure we both sleep and eat well,” Erik said.

“We help each other improve our game.”

Erik was introduced to the game after his older brother took the up the game in 2019 and thought he would give it a try.

Another set of brothers, Mike and Jason Gao, began playing from a younger age.

Mike, Year 9, started when he was seven-years-old and Jason, Year 7, began at age six.

Mike said they motivated each other in the sport.

“When we’re tired, we encourage each other to keep on going,” Mike said.

“We play games sometimes and if I win, it stimulates Jason to train harder to try to beat me.

“We also play games with my parents which is a lot of fun.

“We can be competitive towards each other and try and surpass each other and winning a long rally is always satisfying.”

Congrats to @Haileybury on winning the APS Badminton Premiership for 2015/16. Well done Boys & Coach! #apssport#apspic.twitter.com/TPsbJEvInt

— APS Sport (@APS_Sport) March 17, 2016

Brothers Arvin Jiao and Kevin Dai have won national and state titles before.

Arvin, Year 11, said he worked closely with his brother, Kevin, to improve each others game.

“Kevin and I help each other to prepare and warm up, we plan our playing strategies and coach each other during a game,” Arvin said.

“We always have good communication when playing doubles and we help each other analyse problems and any mistakes we make - but it’s also easy for us to get into an argument about whose fault it was.

“I enjoy table tennis, volleyball and basketball but badminton is the only sport I play seriously.

“Whenever Arvin is playing a tough game, I stand behind him and remind him what he needs to focus on and we never go easy on each other during training because when Arvin gets better, I will also get better.

“During doubles matches it’s as if we can read each other’s mind and that brings us a massive advantage. But sometimes during doubles we do fight – it’s better now since we’ve grown up but sometimes it’s still unavoidable.”

Haileybury head of badminton, Mark Doyle, said the premiership win again this year is testament to the whole team’s hard work and dedication to their training.

“The boys have all displayed a wonderful sense of enthusiasm and dedication to their sport,” Doyle said.

“They all get so much enjoyment from the sport and each other’s company.

“They are very proud to represent Haileybury and they do so with humility and respect for their opponents.”