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September 2014
Number 21
The Official Magazine of BADMINTON England
WATCH THE WORLDS BEST
IN BIRMINGHAM 2015
READ ABOUT THE NEW COACH LICENSING SCHEME
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE YONEX ALL ENGLAND
BREAKING NEW GROUND
LEARN ABOUT THE GAME CHANGING NEW RULES
EXCITEMENT BUILDS TOWARDS THE NBL
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Trusted by the best exclusive power cushion technology allows you to move around the court with extra speed and stability. if you need a shoe that improves impact protection and increases repulsion power, our new 2014 range is the perfect choice for your game.
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Looking forward to the new season from BADMINTON England’s chief executive
The latest badminton news and events
Member offers and competitions
Make a difference at the YONEX
All England, 2015Learn about the new rules and scoring system
A look back at England’s success at the Commonwealth Games
A chat with Heather Olver
England Badminton Players Association for Disabled, breaking down barriers
All the news from Copenhagen
Latest news from the National Badminton Museum
Learn how your club can get involved
Innovative changes to our coaching programme
Opinion from John Copsey
Welcome to this edition of CourtSide. The warmer weather may be leaving us as we enter the autumn and winter season, but we really have enjoyed a great Summer of Badminton.
Your badminton photos on our social media channels as part of our #summerofbadminton celebration have been fantastic and well done to those of you who have continued to play through the summer or squeezed some racket fun into your holidays.
Our sport has well and truly been in the spotlight during these last few months thanks to the fantastic results at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. We set ourselves a minimum target of three medals and achieved five, including the amazing Gold Medal won by Chris and Gabby. While their achievement was clearly the highlight, there were numerous others and I would like to pay enormous credit to every player, coach and member of the support team who were outstanding.
My final comment on the Commonwealth Games is to thank you, our fans, who turned up in their thousands to get behind the team. You were amazing and I know how much the players appreciated your support. You can read all about the event in our Commonwealth Games Review. Shortly after the Commonwealth Games the World Championships took place in Denmark and the high of Glasgow was followed by some disappointments in Copenhagen.
The squad had to re-focus after the success at the Commonwealth Games to prepare themselves mentally and physically for some tough draws and we didn’t quite achieve the level we wanted. But this was a big learning experience for us and we’ll come back stronger. You’ll find all of the details in the World Championships review.
It was also a great summer for our juniors who achieved an impressive medal haul at the Sainsbury’s 2014 School Games. In total, England won 1 Gold, 4 Silver and 6 Bronze medals with huge congratulations to Callum Hemming and Johnnie Torjussen who won gold in the Boys Doubles. Excitement levels are sky high as the first ever National Badminton League (NBL) match nears (6 October 2014). Adult tickets start from just £8 (see here for more information), but if you’re not able to attend the match, you’ll be able to watch it on TV.
It will be shown live on Sport Sports and also broadcast around the world via digital streaming. Each match-night offers five thrilling events played to a brand new scoring system that gets to the crucial points quicker. In-play features include a 'PowerPlay' point and time-outs to add to the match-night entertainment, all of which are new and exclusive to the NBL.
The NBL presents a massive opportunity to showcase our sport, to bring top class badminton around the country and to deliver 8 months of regular TV coverage of our great sport. Please show your support and get behind a team. This time of year also brings the anticipation of the next YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships.
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Ticket sales have been phenomenal to date, so make sure you get yours sooner rather than later.
As well as news around our events, I’m pleased to say that our new Coach Licence Scheme launches this month. It will recognise those badminton coaches who are committed to developing themselves further to deliver the ‘gold standard’ of coaching. Coaches will receive the highest level of training and development, as well as an enhanced membership benefits package once ‘licensed coach’ accreditation has been attained. With all those busy and exciting plans we look forward to the enjoying badminton during the remainder of 2014.
Best wishes
Chief Executive
A dedicated badminton volunteer is celebrating after being awarded the Point of Light award by Prime Minister David Cameron.
As the life-force of a Birmingham badminton club, Pritesh Pattni has used the sport to bring together over 400 people from all walks of life in his local community. The Point of Light award recognises outstanding individuals who are making a change in their community and inspiring others.
He is Chair of the Bidgley Power Foundation, a charity that works with young and disabled people through sport and educational mentoring and has been a sports volunteer for over 28 years. Through his work with the Bidgley Power Foundation, Pritesh has dedicated his free time to supporting the underprivileged in the diverse area of Aston.
This has included running sports sessions, lessons in life skills, mentoring, raising employment opportunities and building community resilience. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Pritesh has channelled his passion for badminton into the local community. Thanks to his dedication and enthusiasm, hundreds of people from Aston have tried a new sport and become more involved in their local area.
“Pritesh's commitment to developing the Coaches Council initiative is supporting local coaching talent to find work and many others are benefiting from his mentoring programme. I’m delighted to name Pritesh a Point of Light.” Pritesh said: "I am truly honoured to be nominated for such a great award and would like to dedicate it to all of the wonderful people I have been lucky enough to work with over many years. “We all lead busy lives but we can all give some time for our local community and I have been lucky enough to be the one who supports, encourages and asks people to give their time.”
David Rose, Regional Delivery Manager at BADMINTON England, said: “Pritesh Pattni has played a huge part in the growth of badminton participation across the city of Birmingham for over 25 years. Badminton has benefitted from his energy, enthusiasm and drive as well as his commitment to helping many inner city communities across Birmingham.
“Latterly Pritesh has played a major part in developing our city wide legacy plan as we seek to exploit the opportunities created by the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships and National Badminton League (NBL). The Point of Light Award is a fitting tribute to Pritesh and his team at Bidgeley Power Foundation and recognition for over 25 years of outstanding volunteering.”
If this story has inspired you to become a badminton volunteer please click here: badmintonvolunteer.co.uk/index.htm.
Amy receives the award from Beth Tweddle BENTLEY GETS REVVED UP FOR BADMINTON! A national luxury car manufacturer has been recognised for boosting physical activity amongst its staff thanks to BADMINTON England’s Essentials programme. Bentley Motors, based in Crewe, recently won the Sport Cheshire Active Workforce Award at their 2014 County Sport Partnership annual awards evening. Delivering new sport opportunities to their 4,000-strong workforce in the company was identified as a great option for many members of staff, so BADMINTON England helped Bentley to set up their first Essentials course. It proved to be so popular that a second course was soon required, allowing 36 members of staff to improve their skills and gain confidence on the court through their resident Level 2 coach. The organisation has now managed to double the numbers of its staff who are active in sports and received the award earlier in the summer from Olympic medallist Beth Tweddle. Amy Collins Health and Fitness Manager at Bentley Motors, said: “Bentley takes the health and wellbeing of its staff very seriously. “Over the past six months many colleagues have made a commitment to improve their health and wellbeing, and our focus has been to raise awareness on prevention and create new sporting opportunities. “Introducing new sports programmes such as Essentials with external partners like BADMINTON England has helped us to achieve more physical activity throughout the company. “We have managed to double the numbers of colleagues active in sports.” BADMINTON England is now working with the company to add the ‘No Strings’ and ‘Battle Badminton’ programmes to the successful delivery of Essentials. A FAREWELL TO KATH Kath Thomas from Shropshire County Badminton Association (SCBA) passed away suddenly on 13th July this year. Kath was one of those superhero volunteers who has left a huge void in Shropshire badminton, but she has left an amazing legacy. She volunteered for the SCBA and ran the Shropshire badminton leagues for over 20 years, had been a key part of running Newport badminton club since the 70’s, and only two years ago restarted their junior club sessions while putting the club through the Clubmark accreditation. Kath volunteered at the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships for at least 15 years with her good friend Tony Hall, (SCBA/Newport BC Chairman) and was a key part of the Telford CBN over the last five years. She was also the first manager of the Welsh over 60s Hockey team when it was formed in 2007, and in the Masters World Cup, for the first Welsh over 65s hockey team she acted as manager. Kath is sorely missed both professionally and personally, and it has taken six individuals to take over the jobs she covered at Shropshire Badminton. Her funeral and a celebration of her life was held on 22nd July in Telford. There were over 300 at the funeral and the wake was fittingly held at the National Sports Centre Lilleshall in Shropshire where she played for Newport BC. Members from her other club where she played, Market Drayton Phoenix BC, also attended along with many members of the whole of the Shropshire badminton league and the committee. In Kath's memory £1000 was raised for the League of Friends of Newport (Shropshire) Cottage Hospital to support the work she did as their Vice-Chairman. She worked every Tuesday morning in their charity shop to raise funds for the League of Friends.The new season is almost upon us and affiliation will start in early October. Remember to have your up-to-date personal details ready for your club administrator. You will receive a welcome email as soon as your club is affiliated and your BADMINTON England welcome pack will be posted to you two weeks later.
We’ve listened to your feedback, so for the new season we will be introducing changes to Premier Upgrade.
Premier Upgrade cost £17 per year and includes:
Remember that tickets are now on general sale for all 2014/15 match-night fixtures in the game-changing new National Badminton League (NBL) – the UK’s first ever professional national league. Monthly NBL Monday matchnights get under way on 6 October with the first match live on Sky Sports.
For a full list of fixtures and far more information go to nblbadminton.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @NBL_Official.
Congratulations to Helen Evans who is the 1st prize winner from the last issue of CourtSide. Thanks to YONEX, Helen is the proud owner of a fantastic YONEX Nanoray 900 racket. Congratulations also to Steve Thomas who won a pair of YONEX court shoes, and Ron Edmonds, the winner of a YONEX racket bag.
Win a YONEX ArcSaber 6 racket and other great prizes. This issue we are giving you the chance to win a 1st prize of a YONEX ArcSaber 6 racket, 2nd prize a YONEX racket bag and third prize two tubes of YONEX feather shuttles.
(CLICK BELOW TO REVEAL ENTRY INFORMATION)
To enter you must be a BADMINTON England member. Send your answer including your name, postal address and membership number with the subject headline ‘CourtSide Next year is the 105th YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships, competition’ to competitions@badmintonengland.co.uk will you be attending?
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OPINION POLL YOUR BADMINTON ENGLAND MEMBERSHIP CARD 2014-15
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All the world’s best players will descend upon the new-look National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham for the world’s most prestigious badminton event from 3-8 March, 2015.
The 105th YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships returns to Birmingham for the 22nd year and brings with it the biggest badminton superstars from around the globe to compete for the sport’s most coveted title. Be there to support our Team England Commonwealth Games medallists gunning for more silverware, including golden couple Chris and Gabby Adcock.
The Championships is also set to feature Spain’s new World and European Champion Carolina Marin and world number one and reigning men’s singles champion Lee Chong Wei, amongst all the rest of the world’s best. Chinese superstar Lin Dan is also rumoured to be making a return to the YONEX All England as he makes his much anticipated comeback to Superseries action as he eyes Rio 2016.
Don’t miss a great family day out and an allround mesmerising experience. Tickets are on general sale – secure your seats now at allenglandbadminton.com. For all the latest event news follow @Yonexallengland on Twitter and get involved using #YAE2015.
Shuttle Time is a Badminton World Federation (BWF) initiative with the goal of making badminton one of the world’s most popular school sports. Shuttle Time trains and supports teachers worldwide with the delivery of school badminton for children aged 5-15.
The continued success of the initiative is reliant on support from National Federations across the world to encourage and facilitate equipment donations. BADMINTON England and Yonex have pledged their support of the programme and have selected Ghana to donate equipment to for the Shuttle Time initiative.
We ask you to play your part too. If you are planning to attend the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2015, please bring with you any unwanted badminton equipment (rackets, shuttles and clothing, both and adult and junior) to donate to Shuttle Time. In return for your generous donations you will receive a voucher that entitles you to claim a free YONEX All England t-shirt with the purchase of any Yonex racket (worth £70 or more) at the event. More information about the Shuttle Time initiative can be found here. A
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The UK's first ever professional national league starts on 6 October when Milton Keynes Badminton take on Surrey Smashers live on Sky Sports, and the Birmingham Lions face Team Derby in the inaugural opening fixtures. The game-changing NBL will feature Britain’s leading players, Olympians and Europe’s top stars, including Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning players Chris and Gabby Adcock. The first NBL season consists of teams from Birmingham, Derby, Loughborough, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Surrey, who will all play against each other once, in a mixture of home and away matches. One match from each match-night will be shown live on Sky Sports, with the other matches streamed live and available on delay online.
Momentum for the new NBL has been building in recent weeks and months as squads have been revealed, the new scoring system has been confirmed, and tickets to watch all the action live have gone on sale. Nathan Robertson, Olympic Silver medallist and BADMINTON England’s ambassador for the NBL, said: “I really can’t wait for the NBL to start now. The new rules really will make games faster than ever and more thrilling for viewers, and as a result the matches will be much more finely balanced.
“Badminton gained lots of new fans at the Commonwealth Games in the summer and the NBL is certain to do the same when the action starts in October.” DYNAMIC SCORING SYSTEM FAVOURS THE BRAVE
The NBL’s scoring system will see matches being played in a ‘first to nine points’ format to reward attacking gameplay, making games even more thrilling to watch in a ‘best of five’ event. Games can be won 9-8. In a tie-break at 2-2 in games, the final game will be decided on either the first to five points or the first player to achieve a clear three point lead, so tie-breaks can be won 3-0, 4-1 or 5-2, which will encourage even faster starts and exciting comebacks!
There are also a number of dynamic new scoring features to make NBL matches even more exciting: • The NBL ‘PowerPlay’ point: New and unique to the NBL, this exciting feature gives serving players the chance to earn double points (2 points) when winning a PowerPlay rally. Each player has just one PowerPlay they can call during each event but both opponents cannot call upon the PowerPlay in the same game. For serving players, the Powerplay is packed with advantage and the chance to win two points. For receiving players, with only one point on offer for winning the rally, the focus is on damage limitation. Requiring nerve, tactics and nous, the PowerPlay will become critical in all NBL matches. • Time-outs: Breaks between NBL games will be a maximum of 45 seconds with no coaching. Instead teams can call one 45-second Time-Out per event to take on any coaching advice. T
starts with no limit to how many players they can call upon. For a full breakdown of the teams and to see the player profiles click here. TICKETS FOR THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT
Tickets are on sale now for all the 2014/15 match-night fixtures with ticket prices starting at £5 for children and £8 for adults, making live, top class badminton more accessible than ever.
Family tickets are available for 13 of the 15 regular season fixtures starting at £28, giving fans of all age the chance to get behind their favourite players and brand new teams.
The matches will be played in a range of iconic and unique venues across the country:
Tickets for all fixtures are available to buy through Sky Tickets – the official online ticketing provider for the NBL. To book and for more information about the NBL go to badmintonengland.co.uk/nbltickets.
CLICK TO CLOSE NBL TO GO GLOBAL Millions of badminton fans around the world will be able to watch the new National Badminton League (NBL) after BADMINTON England announced an exclusive deal with Eurosport Asia-Pacific. The agreement will see the NBL broadcast live to over 10 million homes in 16 countries including Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. It will be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, but the Eurosport deal means that millions of badminton fans in Asia and the Pacifics will now also be able to enjoy the matches live as well. Adrian Christy, Chief Executive of BADMINTON England, said: “Badminton is a truly global sport with millions of fans across the world and I am delighted to announce this partnership with Eurosport to broadcast the NBL live to Asia and the Pacifics. “The NBL is exciting the whole sport and it’s fantastic that it will now reach a worldwide audience millions who will enjoy watching the inaugural league season unfold.”
England celebrate their team silver medal
ENGLAND’S 10-strong squad were sent on a medal mission to Glasgow 2014 with three medals being the minimum requirement set by BADMINTON England.
And after 11 days of competition the squad came back with team silver, mixed doubles gold and silver, and bronze in the men’s and women’s doubles.
There could have been another bronze in Glasgow if team captain and 2010 silver medallist Rajiv Ouseph had not been physically and mentally drained by the efforts of playing every one of the first 10 days as he went down in the bronze medal play-off.
The gold medal honours went to Chris and Gabby Adcock, the first husband and wife to win a Commonwealth Games title together, lifting the mixed doubles without dropping a game. The top seeds defeated team-mates and fourth seeds Chris Langridge and Heather Olver 21-9 21-12 in the final to give England their first mixed doubles one-two since 1994 when they won gold, silver and bronze.
The Adcocks’ victory meant Gabby was England’s leading medallist ahead of Langridge as she also took bronze in the women’s doubles with Lauren Smith and silver in the team event after second seeds England lost only in the final to top seeds Malaysia.
At the Commonwealth Games in India four years ago England won three silvers and two bronze medals. Gabby said after their mixed doubles triumph: "We can't believe it. It's all the hard work that we've put in. This is the reward. We are just so happy that we got that gold.
“The last two years has been the biggest roller-coaster I've ever been on, the highs and lows but that's sport.” Chris said: "Our performances got better and better. In the individual tournament we've been as close to perfect as we could be. “Gold says it all, silver in the team event is amazing and Gabby has the full set with her great win in the women’s doubles play-off."
In the men’s doubles Adcock and Andy Ellis were top seeds but the medal honours went to Langridge and Peter Mills, taking the bronze after beating Adcock and Ellis for the first time in the play-off match 21-17 21-17. The win gave Langridge two silvers and a bronze in a fantastic Games for the Epsom man. The England squad at Glasgow 2014: Rajiv Ouseph, Chris Adcock, Andy Ellis, Chris Langridge, Peter Mills, Sarah Walker, Gabby Adcock, Lauren Smith, Heather Olver and Kate Robertshaw. E
GLASGOW FINAL RESULTS Bronze winners Peter Mills and Chris Langridge badmintonengland.co.uk
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Men’s singles final: (2) Kashyap Parupalli (Ind) bt (6) Derek Wong (Sin) 21-14 11-21 21-11. Bronze medal: (5) R.V. Gurusaidutt (Ind) bt (3) Rajiv Ouseph (Eng) 21-15 14-21 21-19.
Women’s singles final: (3) Michelle Li (Can) bt (2) Kirsty Gilmour (Sco) 21-14 21-7. Bronze: (1) P.V. Sindhu (Ind) bt (4) Jing Yi Tee (Mas) 23-21 21-9. Men’s doubles final: Tan Wee Kiong & Wei Shem Goh (Mas) bt (3) Danny Chrisnanta & Chayut Triyachart (Sin) 21-12 12-21 21-15. Bronze: (2) Chris Langridge & Peter Mills (Eng) bt (1) Chris Adcock & Andy Ellis (Eng) 21-17 21-17.
Women’s doubles final: (2) Vivian Kah Mun Hoo & Khe Wei Woon (Mas) bt (3) Jwala Gutta & Ashwini Ponnappa (Ind) 21-17 23-21. Bronze: (4) Gabby White & Lauren Smith (Eng) bt Loo Yin Lim & Lai Pei Jing (Mas) 16-21 21-15 21-16. Mixed doubles final: (1) Chris Adcock & Gabby White (Eng) bt (4) Chris Langridge & Heather Olver (Eng) 21-9 21-12. Bronze: (3) Robert Blair & Imogen Bankier bt (5) Chan Peng Soon & Lai Pei Jing (Mas) 21-17 21-11.
Top: Team England Below: Lauren Smith and Gabby Adcock show their passion
Returning from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with not one but two silver medals around her neck, England’s Heather Olver can now take some time to reflect on her fantastic achievements.
During a frantic schedule of matches in Scotland over 11 days of competition, Heather claimed her first silver medal in the team event, having played in both women’s and mixed doubles matches.
She followed this up with a series of solid performances alongside mixed doubles partner Chris Langridge as they reached an all-English final against Chris and Gabby Adcock. Having competed four years ago at the 2010 Games in Delhi, Sussex’s Heather thoroughly enjoyed her second dose of Commonwealth competition. Olver said: “We were really happy to have got to the final; a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games is something we could only have dreamt of. "And from the very first team match, the crowd and the support was amazing. I have never seen a badminton hall as full on as many consecutive days, so a big thank you to everyone who came to support."
Following the whirlwind, she couldn’t sit and reflect for very long as the squad were straight back to intense training and competition at the BWF World Championships in Denmark. Although she couldn’t reach the latter stages of that event, Heather will take a lot of positives as she moves into the new season after a short two-week break. There will also be a significant change on court for the 28-year-old as she teams up with Lauren Smith, focusing purely on the women’s doubles event. Qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics is now on the radar and the duo will be training hard as they compete across the world for the all-important ranking points.
Before that though, there is the brand new National Badminton League (NBL) which launches in October. Heather is a member of the Birmingham Lions team and she hopes the new league will change the way badminton is viewed. The new scoring system will make the game faster than ever and will make for a fantastic match-night, both live and on TV. Catch Heather in action when Birmingham Lions face Team Derby at home on Monday 6 October, 2014.
Check out badmintonengland.co.uk/nbl for all the latest NBL news, features and fixtures. ”
R THE LOWDOWN badmintonengland.co.uk
CLICK TO CLOSE Born: 15 March 1986 Birthplace: Eastbourne Based: Milton Keynes Right/left-handed: Right Height: 5ft 6 1/2in (169cm) Heather and Chris celebrating their win Sponsor: Babolat Racket: Satelite Power Highest world ranking: Mixed Doubles: 16 Women's Doubles: 23 Event: Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles Partners: Lauren Smith and Chris Langridge Coaches: Julian Robertson, Pete Jeffrey and Jakob Hoi Started playing: Aged 6 First represented England: Junior aged 11, Senior aged 23.
How I got started: I joined my local club (Waldron Junior BC) with my brother.= Ambition: Continue representing England, qualify for Rio 2016.
Best performance of career: Beating Matusiek/ Zieba the week after they won the Hong Kong Open, then recently beating Kido/Bernadeth (INA) world ranked 7, with Chris Langridge. Major achievements: 2014 double Commonwealth silver medallist, European and 2010 Commonwealth medal. Mixed Doubles winner of Yonex Welsh International (with Chris Langridge), Final of the 2013 London Grand Prix and Scottish Open Grand Prix. How I relax: Generally just cook a nice meal and chill in front of the TV! Or go out with friends for dinner or the cinema.
Favourite sport other than badminton: Athletics Education: Degree in Coach Education and Sports Development at the University of Bath. Was a triple jumper and 200m sprinter at Heathfield Community College in East Sussex.
If I wasn’t a badminton player: I would be running my own business! Ideally I would love to have my own coffee shop/bookstore where people can just go in and relax with their coffee and cake and read a quirky book!
What health benefits do you feel badminton offers? I think there are lots of health benefits from playing badminton - it's good for your aerobic and anaerobic systems, can help with weight loss and toning, and is also a good stress release too!
How do you feel you have benefited from playing badminton regularly? It really makes me feel better about myself...running around and sweating out all the bad toxins! I can really notice the difference in the way I feel if I haven't played for a while. It's also good socially... playing and competing with different people and making friends from all over the world!
Follow her on twitter @olver_heather Photo credit: BadmintonWire
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The England Badminton Players Association for Disabled (EBAD) aim is very simple: to increase the awareness of Para-Badminton and to get more disabled people into badminton at any standard or level. Founded in October, 2010 and run by disabled badminton players, EBAD inform the general public about the world of Para-Badminton.
A lot of people are unaware of Para-Badminton in England (and across the world) so EBAD provides disabled people with a platform to gain knowledge and engage in the sport.
Para-Badminton can be played at all levels - from a social level, playing with friends, to competitive level and there are many of tournaments being played worldwide. EBAD focuses on removing the barriers that disabled people encounter when attempting to play badminton, assists the disabled player to overcome their difficulties accessing the sport and playing at the level they wish to play at.
The EBAD website (ebad.org.uk) was introduced to help disabled people find a route into playing badminton in England. The site makes it easier to find information about the latest news, where to find disabled clubs, coaching, tournaments results and ranking information.
The website also contains lots of Para-Badminton photos and videos and tips on how to play. The site has been proven to be crucial to the Para-Badminton sport within the UK.
Many disabled players’ play at abled-bodied clubs and they enjoy the fun, interaction and challenges of their games. Disabled players can play anywhere (in both able-bodied and disabled clubs), and EBAD try to cater for the individual needs of the player, ensuring their game play and coaching can be tailored to their individual abilities and disabilities. EBAD is here to encourage more disabled people to take up the sport and to gain from the many physical and mental health benefits that come with playing badminton regularly.
It also helpsb to develop the sense of well-being and pride that many Para-badminton players attain as a direct result of playing the sport.
The website is not only informative but is also motivating, check out the player ‘Player Profiles’ page: ebad.org.uk/index.php/players/player-profiles-7 where many disabled players describe how they overcame their disability to play badminton.
EBAD is the only website that is produced and supported by disabled players and is in turn supported by BADMINTON England. EBAD is always happy to receive any news, information or activities that are Para-Badminton related or to offer advice to people looking to play badminton. Email: info@ebad.org.uk
T badmintonengland.co.uk
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call 01494 373004Carolina Marin winning the Women's Single Title
England players enjoyed early successes at the Li-Ning BWF World Championships in Copenhagen, but it was a breakthrough European performance that stole the show at the Ballerup Super Arena in August. Chris and Gabby Adcock were England’s last hopes of a medal chance in the Danish capital before the pair were beaten in the last 16 of the mixed doubles. The Commonwealth Games champions three weeks previously, the No.4 seeds went down 21-16, 26-24 to China’s Cheng Liu and Yixin Bao, despite saving six match points and holding a game point of their own in the second game. “We haven’t had the ideal preparation but that’s no excuse,” Gabby said.
“We felt confident going into this tournament after doing so well at the Commonwealths. We were fine physically but it’s quite difficult mentally.” Elsewhere in the mixed doubles, Glasgow silver medallists Chris Langridge and Heather Olver were ousted 21-15, 21-14 by Singapore’s ninth seeds Danny Chrisnanta and Yu Yan Vanessa Neo. It was the duo’s last match as a mixed doubles pairing, with both now concentrating on level doubles.
In the women’s doubles, Gabby Adcock and Lauren Smith, as well as Heather Olver and Kate Robertshaw, both suffered first round exits to their respective Malaysian and Indian opponents. Meanwhile, Chris Adcock and Andy Ellis went out in the second round of the men’s doubles.In the singles events, Rajiv Ouseph produced a brilliant, gutsy win over Commonwealth Games rival and 16th seed Chong Wei Feng in his opening round.
However, he admitted to disappointment the following day when he lost to Kidambi Srikanth, of India, 21-18, 21-13 in 35 minutes.
There were bright moments in the women’s singles. Fontaine Chapman, making her World Championships debut, lost 28-26, 21-17 to Commonwealth champion Michelle Li, while Sarah Walker, the national champion, unfortunately had to pull out of her second round clash due to an abdominal injury.
European hopes then rested on the shoulders of Spain's Carolina Marin, the London Grand Prix winner, who pulled off an incredible upset to beat China’s world No.1, Li Xuerui, to win the women's singles title. Marin, 21, recovered from losing the opening game to the Olympic champion to complete a remarkable 17-21, 21-17, 21-18 victory and earn her country its first ever major badminton title. "I don't have any words, it was a fantastic match," said Marin.Denmark's Victor Axelsen was pulled along by local support in the men’s singles before being ousted by eventual runner-up Lee Chong Wei in the semi-finals. E
CLICK TO CLOSE Men’s Singles Chen Long (China) bt Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) 21-19, 21-19
Women’s Singles Carolina Marin (Spain) bt Li Xuerui (China) 17-21, 21-17, 21-18
Women’s Doubles Tian Qing & Zhao Yunlei (China) bt Wang Xiaoli & Yu Yang (China) 21-19, 21-15
Men’s Doubles Ko Sung Hyun & Shin Baek Choel (Korea) bt Lee Dae Yong (Korea) 22-20, 21-23, 21-18
Mixed Doubles Zhang Nan & Zhao Yunlei (China) bt Xu Chen & Ma Jin (China) 21-15, 21-13
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Volunteers realising the importance of recording and preserving badminton’s heritage formed a committee in 2003 resulting in the launch of the National Badminton Museum. The Museum has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of badminton artefacts, archives and memorabilia in the world. The collection is displayed and can be seen at the National Badminton Centre, Milton Keynes, which is the home of English badminton.
In 2007 the Museum was granted Charity Status coinciding with a generous legacy left to the Museum by the late Audrey Stone nee Dance, a former English international badminton player. To comply with the Charity Commission regulations the National Badminton Museum is now managed by Trustees and a working party of volunteers are responsible for the day-to-day running of the Museum.
A large amount of reference material is available in the office of the National Badminton Museum which is usually open Tuesday mornings between 9.30 am and 12.30pm. Please contact the Museum for an appointment.
Visitors are welcome to look round the Museum unescorted at any time. The National Badminton Centre is open 9am to 8pm every day.
If you have any badminton memorabilia, archive material or any other items and would like to donate them to the Museum please contact us.
For further information on the National Badminton Museum at Milton Keynes or to become a ‘Friend of the Museum’, please e-mail: museum@badmintonengland.co.uk www.nationalbadmintonmuseumengland
We are based at the National Badminton Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes MK8 9LA Museum exhibits
One hundred years on we are all connected to the First World War through our family, history and local community. The First World War had a long-term impact on every aspect of our society and the world we live in today.
Michael Chesterton and Jill Brill look back through the National Badminton Museum archives to remember players who lost their lives, and how the game continued to be played despite the impact of a global conflict.
The centenary of the First World War led to an enquiry from Michael Chesterton, grandson of former YONEX All England champion and England player, Frank Chesterton, asking if the National Badminton Museum or BADMINTON England had any records of those who died in the conflict.
This led to a search of our records, and we found that the Badminton Gazette contains limited information – the first issue after the First World War was declared asks readers to forward news of badminton players who are doing something for the country, whether on active service or in any other capacity. Already they record a fallen player from Belfast, others wounded and another former YONEX All England champion H.N. Marrett working in a hospital.
There was an excellent response, but needless to say information is limited and sadly came to an end when the Badminton Gazette ceased to be published in April 1915.
Frank Sidney Chesterton, winner of the YONEX All England men’s singles three times, men’s doubles three times, and represented England on six occasions, was also runner up in the men’s singles at the 1914 YONEX All England.
He was the eldest of seven brothers, and when The Great War broke out he worked as an architect and partner with Chesterton and Sons, founded in 1802. On March 13, 1915 an exhibition game in aid of the War Funds was played in Richmond with Frank Chesterton taking part. He was described as short of practice, and lost in the semi-finals of the men’s and mixed doubles. 2nd Lt. Frank Chesterton, Royal Field Artillery died on November 11 1916 at Mons, the first time he went into action, but sadly we cannot trace any reference in the badminton records.
BADMINTON AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR READ MORE
CLICK TO CLOSE During the early stages of the First World War, the committee of the Badminton Association continued to meet, and at a committee meeting of the Badminton Association held on 14 September 1914 it was recommended that clubs be kept open were possible, and that tournaments should not be held until the close of war.
At a later meeting on October 21, 1914 it was decided that clubs unable to pay affiliation fees be allowed to remain affiliated, and that the 1915 All England Championships be abandoned. The Annual General Meeting was held on March 11 1915, but were not signed off until 21 October 1919, suggesting that no further AGMs were held during the remainder of the war.
On a lighter note in these terrible times, we are informed that Captain J. D. M. McCallum is serving as Adjutant of the 8 (Service) Battalion Royal Irish Rifles at Ballykinlar Camp where he has introduced a modified form of badminton with rule modifications involving beams, a stove and two doors opening inwards. (Wish there were photos of this - ED)
There is also a note that equipment for badminton should have arrived near Ypres as a recreation for those resting at the base. If you have any badminton stories or items that you would like to share with or donate to the National Badminton Museum, please contact us: museum@badmintonengland.co.uk Michael Chesterton, Jill Brill
Para-Badminton is currently at the second selection stage for inclusion into the Paralympics, and this is producing a real buzz about the sport.
With only two sports left in this selection stage, there are fantastic odds for the addition of Para-Badminton into Tokyo 2020. Inclusion into the Paralympics offers huge potential for the future, to take the sport to a world stage like never before, and also to inspire disabled people to take up or get back into the sport, and provide fresh motivation to reach the elite level.
England’s prowess was highlighted at the inaugural International Para-Badminton Championships held in Loughborough this June, with four gold, three silver, and a bronze medal haul. In addition England has had successful teams competing in events such as the Deaflympics and World Dwarf Games.
With the help of our member clubs, BADMINTON England is keen to capitalise on the growing attention on Para-Badminton, by increasing the number of opportunities available for disabled people to experience, play regularly, and excel at our sport. WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
We want to make it simple and easy for clubs to get involved, with no pressure to surpass your capabilities as a club, whether it is just two or 20 players you can accommodate, BADMINTON England can support you. The current BADMINTON England Inclusive Clubs programme has already invested into 22 badminton clubs offering a range of activities and opportunities. BADMINTON ENGLAND CAN ALSO PROVIDE:
If you are keen to get involved or just want some more information please enter your details below and we will get back to your shortly: www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q9VLHVC Or take a look at our webpage badmintonengland.co.uk/disability P
PLAYER STORY badmintonengland.co.uk CLICK TO CLOSE
“In April 2007 I was hit by a car in which I broke my neck at C6/C7, resulting in a spinal cord injury, meaning I am an incomplete tetraplegic. I was transferred to Salisbury spinal unit where I completed my rehab and was discharged to my home in Exeter in November 2007. “I first tried wheelchair badminton in June 2008. I had previously tried a few other wheelchair sports but seemed to get on with and enjoy badminton more. Although I had not played badminton before my accident I felt I was good at it and kept playing. “I met Rowan Crossman playing, and together we started playing regularly, and eventually with our parents and coach Sharon Hawkins started up a club, the Devon Racqueteers, which is now the biggest wheelchair club in the country. “I have since then been to Four Nations Tournaments in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England, as well as a German International and the World Championships in Guatemala. “Badminton is a great sport that everyone can play and it has helped me in many different ways; meeting new friends, interacting with people, a hobby, staying fit and active and I love the competition!”
The badminton coach fulfils a unique role in the future development of our sport, both in terms of producing the next generation of performance players who can challenge on the European and world stage and also in the development and engagement of players of all ages who enjoy playing the sport throughout their lives.
BADMINTON England has recognised the significance of the role of the coach and over the last two years has been working behind the scenes to put in place a comprehensive strategy to identify, train, develop and support our coaches. The most significant development is the implementation of a Coach Licensing Scheme, where coaches will be recognised, promoted and supported if they commit to their own personal development to enhance their coaching practice.
The scheme is in addition to the existing Coaching Register. The advantages of becoming licensed gives access to personalised learning that relates to the type of coaching they do, access to wider information and resources along with an enhanced insurance package (including personal accident cover) and access to coaching employment opportunities.
In order for the licence programme to be successful, there needs to be appropriate and relevant training that coaches can access.
Currently the options for coaches to do professional development are extremely limited.
However, during the course of the 2014-15 season, BADMINTON England will be launching in the region of 20 new modules as part of the Coach Update Programme.
FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE LEARNING The vision for the Coach Update Programme is that coaches of all levels working with all types of players can identify areas where they feel they need further support and guidance, and they can plot their own personalised journey through their own coaching development.
The first round of modules have been developed from the results of the coaching survey completed in 2013, with the aim being to develop and deliver learning opportunities in areas where coaches feel they have a need, at a level that is appropriate and in a manner that is accessible.
To achieve these goals, the modules will include a range of 3 hour practical workshops delivered by tutors on a regional basis and online learning modules to cover some of the more theoretical topics.
The Coach Licence Scheme and the Coach Update Programme are all initiatives that will have an immediate impact on the ability of coaches to deliver an enhanced service to all the players they work with.
On a more long term scale, BADMINTON England is leading the development of the technical syllabus of the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) coaching qualifications at all levels.
The aim of this work is to help ensure that all coaches that qualify have the relevant technical T
and tactical skills to support the coaching skills required to work as an assistant coach for Level 1, a club coach at Level 2 and a head coach at Level 3.
More information is becoming available as these new initiatives come on stream. Look out for more information about how you can get involved in your inbox or on the BADMINTON England website badmintonengland.co.uk/coaching.
ROUTE MAP The route map outlines the proposed Coach Update Progamme modules that will be available during the 2014/15 season. The base of the map is the UKCC Coach Education qualifications at Level 1, 2 and 3 as these are fundamental to the Coach Education system.
The Gold Silver and Bronze lines coming from them outline the options available to coaches at each level to enable coaches to plot their own route of personal training and development.
The route map also shows where there is a clear link between modules of different levels, so coaches can start to bridge the gap between UKCC levels or simply to expand their knowledge and skills in different areas related to their coaching. As more modules are developed in the coming years, the route map will expand to reflect the full offer of the Coach Update Programme in an attempt to support and develop coaches of all levels across the country. ■ badmintonengland.co.uk
It was great to hear Nathan Robertson on BBC Radio 4 announcing the new professional league, not least because it will be shown live every month on Sky Sports 3.
When I sat down to write this, I thought the current situation was quite simple, clear and easy to understand. We all know, don’t we, that during the years from 1939 to the late 1970s we had the healthiest diet... ever.
If you don’t believe me, look at any vintage black and white TV documentaries or films and you will see that anyone overweight was rare. Yet that overweight was, by our current standards, a bit thin. Nowadays we know all the reason. Research tells us every possible reason for obesity: poor people cannot afford to eat well, no one bothers to cook from scratch, diet foods reduced fat content, but then fat was replaced by sugar and salt. Then there are the ongoing arguments about corn syrup increasing obesity in the USA.
Today a glass of red wine reduces your heart problems; next week it will be the most damaging drink you can find. The British Heart Foundation says that increased risks of cancer, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure relates to an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise.
Government data shows a general reduction of active people over the last 20 years, with 26% of women and 19% of men being inactive.
So what does this all mean for badminton? Well quite a bit actually. Around England clubs have welcomed people who do not adhere to the general media’s view of a ‘body beautiful.’ Often the new faces at clubs are people who want to get a bit of exercise and have chosen badminton as a way of doing it. The initial visit can be a big first step and takes a lot of thought and determination, for anyone but people are not afraid to pick up a badminton racket. Why? We are an inclusive sport.
Being conscious of personal difficulties – shyness, body image and a general lack of confidence in a strange environment – which any inactive person may well experience when setting out on a sport based activity, has encouraged clubs to look at starting up meetings for either men or ladies only.
In each case clubs have targeted novices and, with well thought out advertising, have attracted a good and growing number of new players. Body shape is ignored.
For our sport at least there are obvious benefits. Such projects build the profile of badminton. It brings in more players and, as many will understand, increased numbers will, in time, allow some to float to the top and take up competitive play.
For those who do not, they can enjoy exercise with friends and colleagues in a closed environment, which is very, very attractive
for newcomers and seasoned veterans alike. badmintonengland.co.uk © John Copsey, September 2014