West Coast Bonanza Debuts in Ayrshire with Strong National Turnout
Kilmarnock, Scotland – 18–19 October 2025 — The first-ever West Coast Bonanza took place in Kilmarnock, marking a significant step forward for Scotland’s regional badminton development. Hosted under the new West Coast Circuit, the Silver and Copper graded event drew players from across the country for two days of competitive play and community engagement.
The tournament featured 169 matches across seven disciplines, providing valuable ranking opportunities and a platform for emerging players from rural and coastal regions. Players travelled from across Scotland — with some journeying over seven hours from Skye, Barra, and the Isle of Harris, alongside competitors from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and the Borders — demonstrating the reach and enthusiasm behind the growing circuit.
Silver Results
In the Men’s Singles Silver, Hamish McCallister (Lothian) battled past top seed Sameer Aamir (Glasgow & North Strathclyde) in one of the weekend’s most thrilling finals, winning 15–12, 11–15, 15–8.
Ella Haime (Lanarkshire) dominated the Women’s Singles Silver group, including a nail-biting 17–15 decider over Leona Rhind (North East) to secure her title.
In doubles, Mathias Kupiec and Jack Riddell (Glasgow & North Strathclyde/West of Scotland) justified their top seeding with a 21–14, 21–14 win in the Men’s Doubles Silver final. Haime added a second gold alongside Rhind, taking the Women’s Doubles Silver in straight games against Emma Cook and Zara Kirkwood.
A standout moment came in the Mixed Doubles Silver, where Iain Richards (Borders) and Emma Cook (Glasgow & North Strathclyde) overcame Murray Spence and Rhind (North East) 30–21, sealing a clean sweep for the top seeds.
Image 2 – Silver MS Winner: Hamish McCallister (Lothian)
Copper Results
In the Men’s Doubles Copper, Vivek Arora and Thomas Jose (Glasgow & North Strathclyde/West of Scotland) produced an impressive run to victory, defeating Matthew Crawshaw and Adi Sarvesh Nair 30–23.
One of the weekend’s most dramatic finishes came in the Mixed Doubles Copper, where Roel Jr Doloiras and Rebecca Bissett (Lanarkshire/Midland) edged out Highland’s Father & Daughter Duo Davie and Isla Fraser 30–28 in an end-to-end battle.
Highland also celebrated success in the Women’s Doubles Copper, with Isla Fraser and Orla McGuire taking gold after a consistent showing through the group stages.
Image 3 – Copper WD Winners: Orla McGuire (Barra) & Isla Fraser (Isle of Harris)
A New Chapter for the West Coast
The West Coast Bonanza represents a cornerstone in the establishment of a regional badminton circuit, aiming to reduce travel costs and expand competition opportunities for players based outside major cities.
Image 4 – Prizes Galore at West Coast Bonanza
Kerry-Anne Savage, Tournament Organiser and Co-Founder of the West Coast Circuit, reflected on the journey:
“The West Coast Circuit has been at the heart of our tournaments since I started travelling to the EBA ones in 2017. I loved the guaranteed matches and the friendships that came with them, and I wanted to bring that same spirit to local players—not just in Ayrshire, but across the whole west coast. It’s been in the making since 2019, and this weekend it truly felt like we achieved our goal. It was magic… but I’m so tired!”
Ryan McCuaig, Tournament Referee, added:
“Delivering the first West Coast Bonanza is a massive achievement for the entire tournament delivery team. It couldn’t have happened without the incredible support of our match control and volunteer team, led locally by Kerry-Anne. Their commitment over the weekend ensured the event ran smoothly from start to finish and set a strong foundation for the future of the West Coast Circuit. It was amazing to have players from all corners of Scotland — from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, from the Borders, and all the way from Skye, Barra, and the Isle of Harris. Some travelled over seven hours just to compete, which really shows how much passion there is for badminton across Scotland.”
With 169 matches played across two days, the event underscored Scotland’s depth of emerging talent and the strength of community-led badminton initiatives.
Image 5 – Group Photo of some of the team behind the scenes (Left to Right; Paul McGuire (Barra), Kerry-Anne Savage (Ayrshire), Andrew Ironside (Glasgow) & Ryan McCuaig (Argyll & Bute))
Full results are available at badmintonscotland.tournamentsoftware.com.