A big Social gathering at the Lakeside
BADMINTON
THERE cannot be many sports where competitors aged from 15 to 79 do battle against each other.
However, such was the huge age range of the 45 players who took part in the latest North Tyneside Social Badminton Tournament, held at Lakeside Leisure Centre in Killingworth.
The complex is a new venue for these popular events, which are aimed at providing friendly competition for casual, social players.
The tournament was run by volunteers from the North Tyneside Badminton Partnership, which sees people from clubs, Sport North Tyneside, coaches, schools and other volunteers working together to provide and develop badminton opportunities for all ages and abilities throughout North Tyneside. Ladies’ doubles winners and runners-up and men’s doubles winners and runners-up from the North Tyneside Social Tournament
In the men’s doubles, where initial games were in groups as in the mixed doubles, the youngest player aged 15 and partnered by his father was up against against the oldest player who was partnered by his son.
The younger pairing of Michael and Ben Gardner triumphed in that particular battle 21-19.
However, the older pairing of Mark and William Henderson ended up winning the group.
The Hendersons then narrowly lost out to Derek Gillespie and Simon Entwistle 21-19 in their semi-final.
Robin Kublar and Yoshika Kawata, two students from Northumbria in the final 21-19.
The ladies doubles, played in one group, was won by the scratch pairing of Jo Donaldson and Judith Olsen.
They won all their matches, Diane Michie and Elizabeth Mitchell runners-up.
Mark Henderson reached a second semifinal, this time in the mxed doubles, but again lost out very narrowly 21-20 to Entwistle and Jacqui Lawton.
Entwistle then lost his second final to men’s doubles partner Gillespie, playing with Donaldson, University, triumphed who collected two winners’ trophies. The awards for outstanding performances by over-50s went to regular competitors Joyce Buchan and Ray Wynarczyk.
The tournament proved another huge success and Donaldson said: “The organisation was spot on as usual.
“Thanks to all the helpers who ensured everything ran smoothly.”
The next North Tyneside Social Tournament will be held at the Parks Sports Centre in North Shields, on Sunday, January 14. Watch out for a report on it in Grassroots Sport.