National Schools Badminton Championships Finals Results |
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Center Parcs National School Championships Finals Weekend Over the weekend of 21st and 22nd April, 180 school children headed to Center Parcs Sherwood Forest for the finals of the 2011/12 Center Parcs National Schools Badminton Championships. Overnight the badminton courts in the Jardin Des Sport were transformed into a competitive arena complete with pumping sound system and spectator seating gallery to house all the weekend’s supporters. After seven months of hard fought local, county and regional rounds, 36 schools from across the country ‘the cream of the 1,100 schools that entered’ battled it out to be crowned 2011/12 national school champions. The finals were split over two days of competition, with the boys' and girls' year 7, 8 and 9 category (aged 11-13) fighting for the national title on the Saturday and years 10 and 11 (aged 14-16) on the Sunday. The format saw each school play six rounds of matches and with just five players in a squad, it ensured a full day’s play for all involved. The first day of the Championships showcased the outstanding skill of the younger players. Their enthusiasm and support for their teammates throughout the day’s play was relentless, and spectators were rewarded with watching some likely badminton stars of the future. There were some incredibly close, tight, tense matches between the last three schools who made it through to the final round with boy’s teams Stantonbury Campus from Milton Keynes and Calday Grange Grammar from Wirral both pushing eventual champions The Elizabethan High School from Nottinghamshire right to the end. The school, who are local to Sherwood Forest have been runner’s up for the past two years – losing out to Stantonbury Campus on both occasions – but were able to withstand the pressure and clinch the years 7,8,9 boys national title by finally winning both their final round matches. Elizabethan High School Team Manager Jo Barnes said, “I am over the moon to claim the title, it’s all down to the boys.” In the girls' year 7, 8 and 9 competition Stantonbury Campus girls went one better than their male counterparts to claim glory and become national champions. In a final round, which came down to the last game of the day against Higham Lane School from Nuneaton, they showed nerves of steel as they beat the Warwickshire team 3-2. Sunday’s competition saw boys and girls in the year 10 and 11 category teams from around the country representing the best in school badminton. With their pace, skill and movement around the court, spectators were hard-pressed to remember that these players were all under the age of 16. The standard of boys' competition was considered to be the toughest it has ever been with reigning champions Denbigh School from Milton Keynes, last year’s runner’s up Davenant Foundation from Loughton and new comers Langley School from Solihull all reaching the final round. However, it was Denbigh after their convincing 5-0 win over Davenant who held off an impressive Langley School with a 3-2 win to secure a second national title in as many years. Similar, in the girl’s competition, reigning champions Kind Edward VI Handsworth from Birmingham fought off strong competition from final round teams The Burgate School from Hampshire and De Lisle Catholic School from Loughborough winning a crucial deciding match between the two midlands school to clinch the national title for the 2nd year running. Players were treated with an opportunity to meet Olympic Silver Medallist and 2006 World Champion Gail Emms MBE as well as Team England players Sarah Milne, Jessica Fletcher and Ben Stawski. For the young competitors it was their chance to quiz two generations of players on everything from how they started playing, what it is like to play for your country and for Gail, what it is like to win an Olympic medal. Not only that, during lunch time the youngsters also had the chance to compete in a shuttlecock smash challenge, with the fastest recorded smash from the boys and the girls teams winning a top of the range Wilson BLX Drago racquet. Official Center Parcs National Schools Championship results: Years 7/8/9 Boys: Year 7/8/9 Girls: Years 10/11 Boys: Years 10/11 Girls: |
