KUWAIT CITY, May 25: Filipino Badminton Association of Ahmadi (FBAA) is a name which every badminton player in Kuwait recognizes nowadays  because of all the well-organized tournaments  it has arranged over the last few years.
Everything runs smoothly like a well-oiled machine when there is any badminton event which has the name FBAA attached to it but very few people know the history of this organization and all the hard work that went into its creation or how a few dedicated individuals have built this group in an effort to provide all the badminton enthusiasts an avenue to practice their favorite sport.
It all started in November 2006 when  a group of Filipino badminton enthusiasts working in the Kuwait Oil Company in Ahmadi decided to set up their own group because at that time there was only one such organization in the country and it involved an 80-kilometer round trip just to take part in tournaments being arranged by that group.

Moreover,  they did not have any input in  these tournaments.  It was not long before FBAA was born,  dedicated not only to promoting the sport of badminton but also aimed at creating a very strong bond in the Filipino community.
At the time of its creation, the FBAA members decided that the  following would be the aim of the organization: Provide quality badminton games both for  leisure and tournament level for its members and foster camaraderie among badminton enthusiasts.
The club started off at a very small scale,  with    around 40 players, but over the last three years it has grown into a large organization with over 150 members and  now  accepts other expatriates working in various sectors of  Kuwait.
The team behind the success of this club has been led by Ronald Margate, the chairman of the organization since its creation. 

The organization,  which was founded on November 10,2006,  began  with the following officers for 2006-2007:
President    Ronald Margate
Vice-President    Norman Abad
Secretary    Beng Pastor
Treasurer    Thess Herrera
Tournament Coordinator    Janette Rimando
TC Member     Bon Elamparo
TC Member    Mike Florendo
After the term of the first set of officers ended,  another election was held to elect a group to run the affairs of the organization  and their term is still running. The  following are FBAA’s current set of officers:
President    Ronald Margate
Vice-President    Norman Abad
Secretary    Eric Pablico
Treasurer    Thess Herrera
Int Relations Coordinator    Roxanne Cajipe Alonzo
Ext Relations Coordinator    Olan Patriarca
Tournament Coordinator    Leeforp Alonzo
FBAA ADVISERS
Joe Mole
Dimmer Barbadillo
Sonny Cajipe
Tim Torres
Tony Elamparo
Roger Patriarca

Current FBAA  members include badminton enthusiasts from the petroleum, telecommunications, information technology, engineering, travel/tourism, food and allied medical services sectors. Members regularly compete in tournaments    organized by the other badminton clubs in Kuwait and most of the time they come out of these events with flying colors.
The club has organized 15 major and 20 one-day tournaments since its inception in 2006. FBAA officials say that their  aim is to hold 4 tournaments in one season.
Several large  companies in Kuwait have taken  notice of the club’s very professional handling of the sporting events  and continue  to be its  sponsors.These include    Abdul Hadi Almailem Trading Co.,  Western Union Money Transfer, DHL, Global Direct, Gulf Communications, Future Communications (NOKIA), Mohamed Abdul Rahman Al-Bahar, Equipment Co., Megaworld International, Maidan Dental Clinic, Crowne Plaza’s Al-Noukhaza Seafood Restaurant & Nautilus Fitness Center, Giordano Fashion, NLB Corporation, Worley Parsons Resource & Energy, SK Engineering & Construction, Technosat Digital Innovating Technology, TFC The Filipino Channel, AJWAA Travels, Bashin Co., ATC Advanced Technology Co., etc..

In between major  tournaments, the club regularly  organizes one or two-day tournaments  to keep its players in tune    with the game.  Major tournaments are usually held in Ahmadi Sport Complex, Kazma Sports Club in Adailiya and most recently the major venue has been Fahaheel Sports Club.
For the past 4 years, the club has organized tournaments to test and improve the skill of its members and these have  been regularly featured as major sports events in the Arab Times  and The Filipino International News channel.
While everyone appreciates the efforts of the FBAA office-bearers,  very few are aware of the meticulous planning needed to hold even a small scale tournament but the dedication of Margate and his team have proved that no task is too big of an obstacle  that can’t be  surmounted .Each office-bearer spares some of his own time to provide quality entertainment to all the members of FBAA.
While decisions on various tournaments are taken on a daily basis, the organization has a charter which is religiously followed. Some of the main points of this charter are detailed below.

Aims and Objectives
The FBAA is a non-profit, non-political, social organization having the following objectives:
1. The main aim is to promote the game of badminton and to encourage the spirit of sportsmanship and fellowship among the members. All profit and surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the FBAA’s activities.
2. To provide opportunities for badminton players to improve their badminton skills and to play competitive badminton games regularly.
3. To organize team competition and to compete in matches against other badminton clubs. 
4. Offer training, informational programs and coaching in the sport of badminton to both members and non-members.
5. To promote high standards of the game, leadership character and to strive for the spirit of sportsmanship and fellowship among the members.
6. To cooperate and interact with other badminton associations, organizations, clubs, and players within Kuwait.

Membership
There shall be two types of memberships:
(A)  Regular Member
Regular membership will be open to all Filipinos working in the Oil Sector as well as spouses and family members within the surrounding communities, who express interest in the game of badminton. Membership shall be approved by the Executive Committee annually. Membership shall be terminated once the individual expresses his/her wish to no longer be considered a member.
(B) Honorary and Temporary Member
Honorary membership will be given only to VIPs.
Temporary Membership will be open to all Filipinos who are visiting the country for a short period of time and are related to one of the regular members. Membership for both Honorary and Temporary shall be approved by the Executive Committee. Membership shall be terminated once the individual leaves  the country or expresses his/her wish to no longer be considered a member.

Violations & Removal Procedures
Any member may be suspended or expelled and subjected to such disciplinary action that the Executive Committee deems fit, for any violation of the provisions of the constitution, or for any conduct that is considered by the Executive Committee to be detrimental to the interests of the members and purpose of the Association.
The Executive Committee shall handle removal procedures of members based upon the facts and allegations of each individual case.
(A) No action can be initiated under this provision by the Executive Committee unless the members of the club approve the proposed action by two-thirds majority.
(B) The final decision, however, lies with the officers of the Executive Committee.

Finances
1. The money of the Association shall be kept by the Treasurer.
2. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collection of all membership fees, receipts and disbursements.
3. The out-going Executive Committee shall maintain a financial record covering the entire period of the Association’s operations, report to the General Body at the first meeting of the year.
4. All expenses related to sponsor coordination, club activities and other tournament activities shall be shouldered by the association / tournament fund subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

Membership Fees
 1. The executive committee shall decide at the start of the elected term, the semester membership fees for active members.
2. All members shall be informed of the membership fees via e-mail or form of memorandum.
Some organizations put a lot of words into their constitutions but forget them very quickly but not the FBAA. Margate and his team  have, over the last three and half  years, ensured that they run the organization by the book in a way that everyone not only enjoys the game of badminton every Friday but also builds friendship with all those present.
With such an attitude, it seems that the organization is going places  and it won’t be long before FBAA becomes a household name in the badminton circles of Kuwait.