Jefferson’s success raises three cheers
JUNIOR BADMINTON REPORTS ON THE UNDER-15 AND UNDER-19 JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN GRASSROOTS SPORT SOON
NORTHUMBERLAND Badminton held its Junior County Championships at the Tyneside Badminton Centre in Slatyford.
The under-13s, for those born in 2008 or later, was the youngest age-group event but suffered from a low entry.
However, there was still good competition, Matthew Jefferson emerging as a triple winner.
He won all three of the boys’ singles group matches, with Stephen Glennie finishing runner-up.
Jefferson then teamed up with Glennie to take the boys’ doubles. Craig Liang and Jude Wisby were runners-up.
The girls’ singles was claimed by Cookie Prapunwong ahead of Reema Rajeev.
The mixed doubles title was won by Rajeev and Jefferson, Sophie Cockett partnering Glennie to take runners-up medals.
The under-17 championships was run parallel to the under-13 event and produced fine matches in a number of groups across the five disciplines.
Lucy Dodd took the first of her many trophies over the course of the weekend in the girls’ singles.
However, she was pressed very hard by Charlotte Graham, two years her senior, in a close match taken 21-20 by Dodd.
Partnering Ellen Davison in the girls’ doubles, Dodd then celebrated her second trophy, Graham and Amy Ward taking the runners-up medals. Dodd sealed her third victory in the mixed doubles with elder brother James.
They were unbeaten in their three group matches, taking the crucial clash against Graham and Tim Bodani 21-18.
Bodani and Dodd dominated the boys’ events.
They both won all five of their singles group matches in fine style, Jack Tilbury and Ollie Edmondson pushing them closest in their respective groups.
The final was a tremendous match eventually won by Bodani 21-18, 21-9.
Dodd and Bodani went on to face Sonny Ho and Dominic Wilson-Baker in a threeended doubles decider.
Somewhat surprisingly, Ho and WilsonBaker claimed the first end 18-16 - but Dodd and Bodani stormed back 15-11, 15-10 to take the trophy.