Butterfield and Knockout Cup action for badminton brigade

AFTER many weeks of training and preparation the badminton season will begin this weekend with a double programme which includes the Munster Butterfield Cup competition to be played in Cork and the Kerry Knockout Cup competitions which will be staged in Killarney.

The Kerry senior team will make the journey to Bishopstown on Sunday next to compete in the 71st staging of the Butterfield Cup competition with the opposition to be provided by the home County Cork, who are defending champions, along with Tipperary and Waterford.

The Kerryman headline of its report of this event last year, played in Thurles, decreed that “Kerry let the Butterfield Cup slip through their fingers” and how true this headline was.

In the final game which saw the Kingdom and the Rebels level on points it was winner take all and with the scoreline at 4-2 in Kerry’s favour it looked to be all over and this famed cup to be Kerry bound but it was not to be as a fighting Cork side threw caution to the wind and they won all three mixed doubles encounters to pip the Kingdom 5-4 and by the one point 16-15 on the day.

With a home venue this year the Rebels will be fancying their chances once again but this Kerry squad have really trained hard in recent weeks and hopefully their efforts will be rewarded. It is three years since Kerry last won this prestigious trophy and hopefully November will see it crossing the Kerry border again.

In compiling these notes the final selection of the 5 ladies and 5 men to compete on Sunday has not been released but they would have been selected on Monday night last from the following panel of players; Edel Broderick, Marion Rohan, Niamh Flaherty, Saorcha Fitzgerald, Elaine Hudson, Sinead Galvin, Maeve Twomey, Tom Bourke, Eric Nelligan, Fergal Hannon, Jonathan Keane, James Leane, Mike Crossan, James Flaherty, Gio Gaudino. Best wishes to all concerned.

The annual Knockout Cup competitions on Sunday will commence the home 2017/18 Kerry programme of events which will be staged in the Killarney Sports Centre with the starting times of 1pm. In all 15 teams will compete over the divisions of 3, 4 and 5.

In division 3 Killarney, Kingdom Castleisland and Moyvane will compete; six clubs will do battle in division 4, namely Ballyheigue,Causeway, Ive ragh, Kill arney, Listowe land Moyvane and 6 clubs will also do battle in division 6; Annascaul, Ballyheigue, Causeway, Killarney, Castleisland and Moyvane.

The defending champions in these competitions are Moyvane at division 3; Listowel at Division 4 and Killarney at division 5.

All mentors, court helpers and players are requested to report in before 1 pm.