Scotland squad selected for World Junior Championships

Badminton Scotland today confirmed the team which will compete at the World Junior Championships, to be held in Russia from 30 September to 13 October 2019.

A strong squad comprising four girls and four boys will represent Scotland in Kazan, first of all in the team event until 5 October, and thereafter in the individual events which culminate on 13 October.

The squad includes six players – Rachel Andrew, Rachel Cameron, Alice Campbell, Rachel Sugden, Joshua Apiliga and Adam Pringle – who were part of the team which won a bronze medal at the Under 17 European Junior Team Championships two years ago, where Pringle and Andrew also picked up a mixed doubles bronze medal in the individual events.

Those six are joined by Michael McGuire and Callum Smith, both of whom have displayed some good form recently with Smith reaching the singles final of the East of Scotland Senior Championships last month while McGuire reached the men’s doubles semi-finals.

Four of this year’s squad – Andrew, Sugden, Apiliga and Pringle – also represented Scotland at last year’s World Junior Championships in Canada and commenting on today’s selections Badminton Scotland CEO Keith Russell said: “I would like to congratulate the eight players chosen to travel to Russia for the World Junior Championships later this year.

“We have named a strong team which has a good mix of some very experienced junior internationalists combined with some of the younger players who are really starting to show their potential.

“Of course the competition will be extremely tough, but I am looking forward to seeing these players pit themselves against the best in the world.”

The full Scotland squad is:

Girls
Rachel Andrew, 18, Edinburgh
Rachel Cameron 17, Musselburgh
Alice Campbell, 16, Glasgow
Rachel Sugden, 17, Alexandria

Boys
Joshua Apiliga, 18, Glasgow
Michael McGuire, 16, Bothwell
Adam Pringle, 18, Giffnock
Callum Smith, 17, Duns

Coach: Robert Blair