National Disability Badminton Championships: Round Up
By Ross Foley
Saturday 28th January saw athletes from all around Scotland compete in the National Disability Badminton Championships held at Dalkeith School Campus.
40 athletes competed across 5 different categories to battle it out to become National Champion.
This tournament is always one to look forward to on the Badminton Calendar, bringing athletes together from all areas of the sport and engage within a high level competitive environment, ultimately showcasing the sport of Badminton which we all love.
It was a fun memorable packed day for all from exciting rallies and great matches to people having fun and enjoying the sport. The Nationals is a platform not just about playing and performing, it is about socialising amongst other people who love badminton and sharing background and stories with those who you are playing with or against.
Summary of the day;
In the SL3 singles category saw a return to court for Alan Oliver who competed against Colin Leslie and Logan Welsh where they all played some amazing games against each other in a round robin and it was Alan who edged to the top with a thrilling 3 set match to determine the title.
In the SL4-SU5 singles category it was a straight final between 2 teammates off the court but on the court they were rivals with Richard Lean competing against David Purdie but with a gap of only 2-4 points in each game, it was Richard that went onto gain the gold, what a match it was to watch for everyone at the event.
In the SS6 singles category, 3 players competed in round robin- Bobby Laing, Andrew Davies and Owen Carmichael all friends off the court came together to create amazing matches but it was Andrew who came off with the gold after big improvements in his game taking him that extra step to winning the title this time around.
In the WH Class 2 men’s singles category saw another straight final between two very new but majorly improving players to the Nationals who were Gregor Anderson and David Birtles. It was an amazing showcase of such a great sport where Gregor took the gold but both equally deserved the win for how amazing the game was.
In the LD MS Div 1 saw some new players join the division along with some who have played for years, everyone showing their true potential, all players tried their best and achieved their own goal, but it was Michael McCraw that went on to take the gold.
In the LD MS Div 2 consisted of players that have been part of the sport for a wee while and all knew each other off the court, what a thrilling category to watch and so many close matches. It was David Adie that took that extra point and gained the gold but a massive congratulations to all for the great games!
In the LD MS Div 3 saw some who have experience competing against new and upcoming players, all put in maximum effort and did really great work on court but it was Mark Samins that gained the gold medal on the day.
In the LD WS Div 1 Diane Gillan gained the gold medal after what was a really tough group with some amazing matches with Siobhan Cuthbert and Aisha Skye Rae, all should be really proud of their matches.
In the LD WS Div 2 saw 3 players battle it out for the gold where all players are fairly new to the competition side but they showed so much skill and determination, it was amazing to watch, however it was Isla Scott who went on to take the gold with some thrilling rallies, points and games.
In the LD WS Div 3 saw friends off court compete to gain the medals in this category, after some amazing games, laughs, cheers and more, the gold went to Lynsey Arnold who was playing in her first ever competition so what an amazing achievement to be given, but overall each player played their own part in the matches and all should be really proud!
There were some amazing Doubles matches and Mixed doubles matches also with the scores and results on Tournament Software.
A massive thank you to all volunteers, officials and organisers for all your dedicated support, enthusiasm and overall inspirational effort for making this year’s Nationals a true success and to inspiring the future of the sport!
Massive congratulations to all players and medallists!!