15 Questions with our Under 15 European Medalists: Alfie Martin and Charlie Junnor
Last month Alfie Martin and Charlie Junnor surpassed all expectations at the Under 15 European Championships in Poland, winning a bronze medal in the mens doubles.
Despite a relatively new partnership between the two, Junnor and Martin have been playing in the Badminton Scotland structure since they were much younger. Martin began at Shuttle Stars in Lanarkshire and Junnor at Scotstoun Badminton Club.
Speaking to John Craig from Scotstoun Badminton Club about Charlie’s early years of Badminton, Craig recalled he joined in December 2020 and was coached by Iain, Aiden Delaney and was even coached twice a week over summer by Angus Meldrum. “We like to see him as ‘Made in Scotstoun’, he was always determined to get better and highly competitive. I’m told that he kept a drawer full of used shuttles at home and he was famed at the club for constantly asking for better shuttles, challenging everyone.”
“At Scotstoun everyone is welcome and we try to improve every player, coach and volunteer.
We have had some luck over the years with parents trusting us to develop their kids. Coming to the club every week and seeing smiles and red faces is what the club is all about.”
Now both boys attend Glasgow School of Sport with Martin playing at City of Glasgow BC and Junnor playing at Glasgow Badminton Academy in addition to their Regional and National programme commitments.
Now at 14 and 15 respectably the up and coming juniors caused quite an upset in Poland with their bronze medal, going toe to toe with the best in Europe.
In true athlete fashion, when asked how the tournament was as a whole, Junnor immediately began describing the conditions of play
“The hall was good, the drift wasn’t awful but was annoying at times, with the overhead shots.”
Speaking on the first game Martin admitted they were nervous about the first game in the hall, “Getting used to it all.”
Despite being nervous, from an outside perspective they cruised through the first few games winning their first doubles match in 16 minutes.
The turning point of the tournament was the game where the boys played the number one seeds of the tournament, a Swiss pair.
“I’d played them twice before, normally with a first seed you get nervous but you’ve also got nothing to lose, the pressure’s on them.”
Then came the game that won them the medal where they started strong Junnor recalled
“We won the first set quite comfortably 21-16, they were playing quite slowly and we just played faster and attacked more. Second set we had a bad start, they upped the tempo and we made more mistakes.”
With it all coming down to the final set, you could cut the tension with a knife,
“It was nerve wracking, at 20 all in the third set my leg was shaking. We just had to stick to our game plan and believe we could do it.” said Martin.
When asked what the game plan was, Martin simply said “Play really hard, they were small boys so try play fast.”
Badminton Scotland was keen to gain an insight into our newest Junior European Medallists and see what badminton life is like for our younger elite players.
1. What’s your go to place for food after a win?
CJ: Probably a McDonalds if I’m starving from a long drive back from a tournament in England.
AM: If its a reward its probably a Nandos, that’s my favourite.
2. Who out of the two of you is better in the mornings at competitions?
AM: Probably Charlie, he’s always up early, telling me when to get up and go to sleep, but his timekeeping isn’t the best so I’m the alarm guy but then can’t get up for the alarm.
3. Favourite way to win a point?
AM: Probably a smash and setting the person up at the front like the last point we won.
CJ: Yeah smashing it and killing the set, that’s quite a good way to win the point.
4. Badminton Hero?
CJ: Kento Momota, his style of play is just so satisfying to watch.
AM: Victor Axelson – he’s tall, likes attacking like me.
5. Now this may be the same person but who would you absolutely kill to get a point over
CJ: I’m not actually sure
AM: I’d love to cross block Victor Axelson, that would be amazing.
6. What kind of music do you like to listen to when you train?
AM: Upbeat stuff
7. Any particular song that gets you in the zone before games?
AM: Upbeat stuff again, but I was talking to Ciar Pringle about it and the idea of getting a playlist together for before tournaments, and how that always helps.
CJ: In the room it was a mix, lot of kind of slow rap
8. What kind of training session do you absolutely dread the most.
AM: High intensity
CJ: Yeah School of Sport High Intensity sessions.
AM: It’s like fitness and hard badminton
CJ: And you don’t really get a lot of rests, high intensity no rest. Probably has benefited us but still horrible.
9. Where in the world would you like to play badminton next?
AM: Probably China but I’d love to go back to Japan too.
CJ: I’d like to go to Malaysia and Indonesia to play.
10. Tell me what you always pack when you’re going to a tournament.
CJ: For energy the fizzy tablets
(interrupting) AM: His neck pillow, he loves his neck pillow. Mine would be my airpods.
11. If you didnt play badminton what sport would you play.
AM: Football or tennis
CJ: Tennis, its similar to badminton.
12. If you could have a badminton related super power – stamina, speed etc what would it be.
AM: Speed.
CJ: Power.
13. What motivates you to keep getting better?
CJ: I saw the level of play there especially in the mens singles, such a high level and it motivated me to get better, the Scottish level doesn’t touch.
AM: Just seeing all the top players and wanting to be like that.
14. What’s the next goal?
CJ: Probably getting a better medal in Europe, at the Under 17s but that will be a big ask as we’ll be a year younger.
AM: Probably the same and also the smaller tournaments, I’ve got Hungary, Denmark and Under 19 Nationals.
15. What’s the ultimate goal?
AM: Play like how Kirsty does, the Super series all around the world, Olympics, Commonwealth.
CJ: I’d like to go and tour Asia like the top players do, the China Open, Japan Open, you always watch it on the TV and wonder if I could play in that when I’m older.