Martin and Xiao aiming to retain titles as seeds announced for U11 Nationals
The time has nearly come for the best young badminton players from across the country to show off their talent after the seedings for the U11 National Junior Badminton Championships were confirmed today.
Boys and girls from all over Scotland will descend on Scotstoun’s National Badminton Academy in Glasgow, where Alfie Martin will defend his boys’ singles title as top seed when the event gets underway on Sunday 6 October.
The East Kilbride player won the title as second seed last year but starts as favourite for this year’s title with Glasgow’s Finn McQuade the second seed and Ruari Davies (Glasgow) and Max McCabe (Ayr) seeded joint 3/4.
Martin is aiming for a title double – he is also top seed in the boys’ doubles with Davies and will be aiming to go one better than last year, when he and Michael O’Neil Ferrero lost out in the final to Callum Russell and Lewis Smith.
Qing Yang Xiao from Edinburgh is the only other reigning champion in the tournament, having won the girls’ doubles last year with Deepthi Vijayakumar.
She plays this year with Ingrid Wang (Edinburgh) and will be aiming to beat top seeds Hannah Buxel (Stirling) and Tushara Senthilrajaram (Broxburn) to the title.
Xiao is also aiming for a title double and starts as top seed in the singles ahead of second seed Senthilrajaram and third seed Wang.
The draws will be published at badmintonscotland.org.uk by Wednesday 2 October and a full list of seeds is below.
U11 Boys’ Singles: Holder – Alfie Martin (East Kilbride)
1. Alfie Martin (East Kilbride)
2. Finn McQuade (Glasgow)
3/4. Ruari Davies (Glasgow); Max McCabe (Ayr)
U11 Girls’ Singles: Holder – Deepti Vijayakumar (Edinburgh)
1. Qing Yang Xiao (Edinburgh)
2. Tushara Senthilrajaram (Broxburn)
3. Ingrid Wang (Edinburgh)
U11 Boys’ Doubles: Holders – Cameron Russell (Dunblane)/Lewis Smith (Glasgow)
1. Ruari Davies (Glasgow)/Alfie Martin (East Kilbride)
2. Max McCabe (Ayr)/ Finn McQuade (Glasgow)
U11 Girls’ Doubles: Holders – Deepti Vijayakumar (Edinburgh)/Qing Yang Xiao (Edinburgh)
1. Hannah Buxel (Stirling)/Tushara Senthilrajaram (Broxburn)
For more information contact Peter Dean, Head of Events for Badminton Scotland, on 0141 445 1218 or email peter@badmintonscotland.org.uk