Round up: 2022/2023 Babolat Dunfermline Championships
The annual Babolat Dunfermline Badminton Championships were held at Carnegie Leisure Centre on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 January.
A record entry produced many exciting matches and four of the 5 finals went to 3 sets.
In the Men’s Singles, surprise Semi Finalist Calum Menzies, who had knocked out 3/4 seed Mark Mackay gave top seed Callum Smith a good game and in the other Semi Final, Matthew Waring knocked out second seed Ganesh Balaji.
Matthew did well to sneak the second game from Callum Smith in the Final who then stepped up the pace to comfortably win the third and the match thus retaining his title and winning three in a row.
Young Iona Muir toppled top seed Sophie Ford in the Semi Final of the Women’s Singles and after a slow start in the Final against a determined Basia Grodynska, fought back to win the second game only to lose to 19 in the third.
The Men’s Doubles produced surprise finalists Calum Attenbury & Cameron Strachan who knocked out 2nd seeds Evan Kenny & Josh Taylor and 3/4 seeds Ganesh Balaji & Finlay Jack on their way to the Final. Top Seeds Kenneth Cheung & Callum Crangle took three games to put a stop to their progress.
Dunfermline player Brooke Stalker along with her partner Jodie Harris proved a popular winner for local spectators, coming back from losing the first game to win in three games against top seeds Kirsten Berry and Sophie Ford.
Brooke & partner Angus Meldrum almost made it to the Final of the Mixed Doubles losing a very tight 3 game match to Kenneth Cheung & Jodie Harris in the Semi Final. Husband and wife pairing of Mark & Shona Mackay proved the journey from Thurso worthwhile beating Kenneth & Jodie in straight games to win the title.
The Lord Provost of Fife, and well known local celebrity, Jim Leishman presented the prizes and gave the players a positive pep talk relating to competitive sport and continually striving to improve.
Many thanks to our sponsors Babolat, the staff of Carnegie Leisure Centre & Badminton Scotland Court Officials for their support in staging this event.