Badminton News
******** Under 12 Badminton Tournament News and Results ********
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Gordon Thomson Selected to GB Elite Player Programme
Glasgow School of Sport would like to congratulate their Performance Coach Gordon Thomson on gaining entry to LEVEL F of the GB Badminton Programme. Gordon has worked very hard and has shown that it is possible to get results to allow progression through the GB system. Gordon will be considered for entry into the Scottish Institute of Sport and will look to relocate to Milton Keynes most weeks to access the quality sparring available with the best players in the UK.
Unfortunately Gordon will no longer be able to commit time to coaching at Glasgow School of Sport due to playing commitments. On behalf of all staff and pupils we would like to wish Gordon our best wishes in his future career and look forward to seeing some international results during the coming years.
Top English Juniors Visit GSOS
Glasgow School of Sport recently welcomed brothers Ben and Alex Lane to Scotland for some sparring and training. Ben and Alex are part of Badminton England World Class Start Programme and currently live in Exmouth, Devon. The boys are coached by their mum Sue, former English National Champion and ex England Internationalist and work within the framework in England.
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Ben and Alex Lane with GSoS students |
It was nice to see School of Sport players training and sparring with the boys and can only strengthen the links between Scotland and England as we all embark on a new system under GB Sport. Ben and Alex attended badminton and conditioning sessions at the School of Sport and also took part in two training session organised by Glasgow City Badminton Satellite Squad under their coach Ray Stevens.
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S6 Student Steven Byers reports from European Summer School 2008
“I have just returned from Ursynőw where I attended the European Summer School. I was lucky enough to be chosen by the Glasgow School of Sport who also paid half the cost towards the camp. Coach Alex Bird, Andrew Gilliland and Eilidh Ballantyne joined me in Poland as they were funded by Badminton Scotland to attend the summer school.
All in all the Summer School was a fantastic experience albeit very hard work. We were joined by other groups from different countries in Europe and as a result of this we met many new friends. As a whole group we trained twice during the day and at night there was usually an activity organised like swimming, indoor hockey and football where I was known as Ronaldo Byers! We also had a team tournament at the beginning of the camp and to end the camp there was a final singles tournament.
The training consisted of singles and doubles work. At the beginning we were split into nine small groups where we had the chance in the afternoon session to work on something we thought needed improvement in our game which for me was my smash which I feel is my weakest area. During the morning sessions before lunch we were given exercises to do which consisted of 2 versus 1 exercises, routines, skills work and physical work. In every session we completed a quality warm up and warm down as a whole group which helped recovery from the last session and also to have the ability to train a lot better in the following session.
The hotel was good but there was one downfall - the food! It wasn’t the best but it was all that was there, so we had to cope with it. I don’t want to see hotdogs for a very long time! Also, Andy and I were disappointed as they did not stock our Scottish Blend tea in the supermarket. I shared a room with Andy and we got on very well. We would watch CNN worldwide news as it was the only English speaking channel on television so we were up to date on what was happening in the world.
Overall the Summer School was an amazing experience. I would like to thank Alex, the coach who took us to the camp, as he was great and he had to put up with the three of us for a whole week. Also I would like to thank Craig Robertson and Ms. Porter for giving me the opportunity to attend the camp and also for paying towards the costs. I had a superb time and learned a lot to help improve my game.”
Steven Byers – S6 Student
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Home Thoughts from Abroad – Alan McIlvain reports from Belgium
“It has been 18 months since I left the School of Sport to take up the position as Belgian National Coach.
In that time I have visited 20 different countries, attended over 35 tournaments and probably trebled the size of my carbon footprint with the amount of flights I’ve taken and the miles that I’ve driven. (How educational is this? A famous poem as a title and some informative global warming points as well. Learning can be fun!)
For those of you that I haven’t already bored with the details of my job, let me give you a few relevant pieces of information.
Belgium is split into 2 parts, the Flemish region (where I work), and the Wallonian region (which is obviously not as good). The coach for the Wallonian region is a Dane called Sofus Rishiide and Sofus and I work together as joint National coaches.
Belgium is famous for its beer, its chocolate and for a small guy peeing in the middle of Brussels (a statue called the Manneken Pis). Fortunately for my athletic physique, I do not eat a lot of chocolate. Unfortunately for my athletic physique, I love beer almost as much as Homer Simpson.
Usually I work with a group of five senior players and most of my time is taken up with on-court training and coaching at tournaments. I also work with pupils from the Topsport School in Antwerp.
These pupils are in the last year of school and getting ready to move up to the senior programme where they will work with me five days a week. There are also two national squad training sessions during the week where all the best Belgian players join together.
Things have been going well since I arrived in Belgium. The players seem to enjoy the type of training I deliver (although the high intensity session still gets the same type of reaction that it got from everybody at the School of Sport ). They are also starting to get used to my many amusing comments and sayings that I know all of the School of Sport players loved and miss (aye right!) although they still struggle with my accent when I get too enthusiastic. I have to speak very slowly!
Results have also been good.
We have had a lot of success in the doubles disciplines with Wouter Claes managing to reach 7 International Series or Challenger Finals this season in mens’ and mixed doubles. This is more than he has achieved in the last 5 years. He also reached the quarter finals of the mens’ doubles in the European Championships, the first time that any Belgian player has reached that stage.
Nathalie Descamps also achieved an Olympic Qualifying position for the ladies singles (at the time of writing this, I am waiting to see whether the Belgium Olympic Committee will accept her for the team).
I would love to say that this success was all due to my brilliant coaching but it is really just the fact that the players have put in the hard work and been receptive to making changes in their technical and tactical skills.
One of the highlights of last season was when Belgium competed in the Sudirman Cup in Glasgow. As part of our preparation, the team had some training sessions at the School of Sport and all the players were extremely impressed with the quality of the facilities there. They were then delighted to find out that they had been adopted as the School of Sport players’ favourite team to support and really appreciated the screaming and cheering during their matches (even your screaming Miss Nathalie M.).
Since then I have had some School of Sport players coming to train with the Belgium squads and even managed to dump Steffi Annys and Severine Corvilain (Ladies Doubles National Champions) over in Glasgow for a week to give me some peace and quiet.
I do miss the School of Sport and everybody there (which is why I always come to visit when I’m in Scotland – whether you want me to or not) and believe that it is a fantastic place to develop as a badminton player and as a person. I ’m delighted to see that Craig Robertson and his team have continued to develop the programme and that it goes from strength to strength.
Hope to see you all soon.”
Aldo! |
Alan McIlwain with Wouter Claes |
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UKCC Level 1 Course for S5/6 Students
Glasgow School of Sport pupils took part in the first level of Coach Education for Badminton in June 2008. The course was led by Lena Robertson and assisted by Craig Robertson; both accredited Coach Education Tutors for BADMINTONscotland.
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UKCC Level 1 Course participants |
Pupils from S5 and S6 were joined by seven other budding coaches as they started their journey through the new United Kingdom Coaching Certificate course in Badminton.Course participants included Alan Oliver, current European Silver Disabled medallist and Scottish Institute of Sport member Linda Sloan.
Overall the two days went well and proved interesting mainly due to the prior knowledge of the sport by all candidates. Final exams will go ahead on Friday 8 August 2008.
3 New players join GSOS Programme
Glasgow School of Sport are delighted to welcome 3 new players into the badminton programme. Andrew Gilliland formerly from Bearsden Academy has represented Scotland at last year’s UK School Games and reached 2 finals at the recent National Juniors. Eilidh Ballantyne, formerly of Paisley Grammar, also joins the programme this year. Eilidh was also part of the team for the UK School Games. Finally Fiona Archibald is a new student in year 5 and will spend 2 years at the School. Fiona has competed at British Quadrangular level and played a part in the UK School Games alongside Andrew and Eilidh. Fiona will travel from Larkhall to Glasgow after moving from Larkhall Academy.
The badminton team of coaches and players welcome the new players and wish them a successful time at Glasgow School of Sport.
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UK School Games 2008
Four players from Glasgow School of Sport have been selected to represent Scotland at the UK School Games to be held in England this August 2008. New pupil Fiona Archibald has joined the school in S5 and will play in the School Games for the second time. Robyn Glen (S3) has gained her first call up to the Scottish team after some inspired performances recently. Joining them will be Under 15 British Champion Kirsty Gilmour and Under 15 National Doubles and Mixed Champion Gregor McVean. Glasgow School of Sport wish them a successful event.
UK School Games Website http://www.ukschoolgames.com
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Gregor McVean and Kirsty Gilmour |
Coach Lena Robertson |
Coach Craig Robertson |
Glasgow School of Sport to run U11 and U12 Tournaments
At a recent Annual General Meeting BADMINTONscotland sanctioned Glasgow School of Sport to run 2 tournaments in season 2008/09. This is great news for the School of Sport and will attract some of Scotland’s most talented players to compete in the 6 court state of the art facility at Bellahouston Academy. The tournaments will be open to players born in the following years:
Glasgow School of Sport under 12 (Born 1997 or later) – Saturday 20 September 2008
Glasgow School of Sport under 11 (Born 1998 or later) – Saturday 21 March 2009
Entry forms will be available in early August 2008 from this website and the BADMINTONscotland website.
Adam confirms his Rising Star status at Warwick
Adam Hall finished the season in fine style as he played in the Warwick Rising Stars under 12’s competition. The tournament included all but a couple of England’s top players and Adam won both singles and doubles titles. Adam beat Sean Vendy of Buckinghamshire 21/16 in the final of the boys’ singles. Adam paired up with Angus Pederson from London to beat Yorkshire couple Scott Williams and Sebastian Johnston 21/8.
These results put an end to a fine season for Adam as he has established himself as one of the best juniors in the UK at under 12 and under 13 levels.
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12 Players to join BADMINTONscotland National Junior Squads
Under 17 National Singles and Mixed Champion Steven Stewart leads the list of School of Sport players invited to join the National Squads at Under 16 and Under 19 for the new block which will run from May – October 2008. Lisa McMullen received an invitation to join, however she is still injured. We wish Lisa a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back in the squad and in competition early in the season.
The National Squads are selected mainly from the recent National Championships and from other domestic events during the year. Players are invited to attend a 3 hour session on weekly basis held at Scotstoun Badminton Academy.
Congratulations to all players who have been invited. Players names are listed below:
Steven Stewart
Danny Leinster
Gregor McVean
Ben Torrance
Jordan Gilvear
Josh Neil
Adam Hall
Kaity Hall
Robyn Glen
Rebekka Findlay
Fiona Archibald (New S5)
Eilidh Ballantyne (New S6)
Good luck to British Olympic Badminton Team
Glasgow School of Sport would like to congratulate and wish all six players selected to this year’s Olympic Games. Mens singles player Andrew Smith and Commonwealth Champion Tracey Hallam will compete as lone singles players. Former World Champions and Olympic Silver Medallists Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson will join European Champions Donna Kellogg and Anthony Clark in the mixed event. 2004 European Champions Gail Emms and Donna Kellogg will join forces and compete in the Ladies Doubles.
All information can be found on the GB team at http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/
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Yorkshire Team and Individual Event Under 14
A West of Scotland team consisting of several players from the Glasgow School of Sport competed in the annual event held at York Railway Institute. In the individual events Josh Neil won the boys’ singles beating Timothy Morris of Staffs 21/18 in the final. Josh and partner Ben Torrance reached the final but lost out to Adam Hall and Calvin Percival 21/6. In the girls’ doubles Rebekka Findlay and Heather Campbell won the title over Craweshaw/O’Sullivan 21/13.
On the Sunday, the West of Scotland Team went on to win against teams from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire. After victories of 4-3, 5-2 and 5-2, the West of Scotland youngsters went on to play the semi–final against Surrey. Another 5-2 victory set them up for an all Scottish final against Lothian. It was to the delight of the coaches that the team gave their all and cruised to a 4-0 start winning both singles and two boys’ doubles. Lothian fought back taking the girls’ doubles but the West finished the day the way they started taking the mixed and with it the team gold.
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29 April 2008
Quadrangular Under 15 in Scotland
Kirsty Gilmour and Gregor McVean both S3 students at Glasgow School of Sport competed in the event held over 25 – 27 April 2008 at Scotstoun Badminton Academy. Bank of Scotland once again sponsored the event and continue to sponsor BADMINTONscotland at this level. The team event saw Scotland play Ireland, Wales and eventually England in the Final. A 10 - 0 win over Ireland and a close match with Wales at 6 - 4 set up the final. After some exciting matches and some very close contests the score ended in a 5 - 5 draw. Due to a count back on games difference against the other nations, England was crowned champions for 2008.
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Kirsty Gilmour Strikes Gold
Kirsty Gilmour ended an impressive season in winning the Under 15 Individual event in Girls’ Singles. Kirsty met Ireland Ruth Roddis in the final and played very well to win 21/10 21/12. The singles final took place after the girls’ doubles final where Kirsty and Kirsty McGlynn lost out in a long match to England’s Sophie Sankey and Holly Smith 21/19 18/21 12/21. For Kirsty this was the last event of the season and completed a good month with wins in Aros Cup, Denmark and Under 17 National Championships in Girls Singles.
The Edna Gibb Award went to Kirsty on this occasion. The award is for the best performance by a Scottish player at the Quadrangular and is in memory of Mrs Edna Gibb who put so much into badminton through Scottish Schools Badminton Union.
Gregor McVean reached semi finals in boys’ doubles and mixed doubles before losing out to top English players. In the doubles Gregor partnered Mathew Carder losing to Aaron Cheng and Rhys Walker 16/21 7.21. In the mixed event Gregor McVean and Kirsty McGlynn came up against Rhys Walker and Sophie Sankey. After some great play the young English pair ran out winners 21/14 15/21 21/15. After 2 days of hard competition Gregor was drawn against Oliver Gwilt of Wales. After a promising start Gregor lost out 14/21 13/21.
Overall Kirsty and Gregor performed well at this event. The Quad is the first taste of International Team badminton and is a stepping stone onto Under 17, 19 and senior European events. BADMINTONscotland hosted an excellent event and will host the Under 17 Quadrangular in two years time.
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Gregor McVean and Kirsty Gilmour |
Under 15 Team 2008 |
Team Results:
Scotland 10 Ireland 0
- Gregor McVean beat Joshua McGhee 21/12 21/8
- Kirsty Gilmour beat Ruth Roddis 21/9 21/8
- Gregor McVean and Mathew Carder beat Adam Jermain and Ciaron Chambers 21/19 21/11
- Kirsty Gilmour and Kirsty McGlynn beat Ruth Roddis and Caroline Black 21/11 21/17
Scotland 6 Wales 4
- Gregor McVean lost to Daniel Font 18/21 21/14 15/21
- Kirsty Gilmour beat Georgina Hughes 21/9 21/8
- Gregor McVean and Mathew Carder beat Michael Kinnear and Robert John 21/8 21/8
- Kirsty Gilmour and Kirsty McGlynn beat G Hughes and J Hart 21/15 21/14
Scotland 5 England 5
- Gregor McVean lost to George Li 21/13 12/21 18/21
- Kirsty Gilmour beat Alexandra Gilders 22/20 21/14
- Gregor McVean and Mathew Carder beat Tom Wolfindon and Alex Lane 21/16 21/16
- Kirsty Gilmour and Kirsty McGlynn beat Sophie Sankey and Holly Smith 21/16 21/17
Individual Results:
- Girls’ Singles Final – Kirsty Gilmour beat Ruth Roddis ( Ireland) 21/10 21/12
- Girls’ Doubles Final – Kirsty Gilmour and Kirsty McGlynn lost to Sankey and Smith 21/19 18/21 12/21
- Boys’ Singles 2 nd Round – Gregor McVean lost to Oliver Gwilt ( Wales) 14/21 13/21
- Boys’ Doubles Semi – Gregor McVean and Mathew Carder lost to Aaron Cheng and Rhys Walker 16/21 7/21
- Mixed Doubles Semi – Gregor McVean and Kirsty McGlynn lost to Walker and Sankey 14/21 21/15 15/21
- Mixed Doubles 1 st Round – Kirsty Gilmour and Mathew Carder lost to Chloe Birch and Alex Lane 20/22 18/21
Full results can be viewed at http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=21108
29 April 2008
Glasgow School of Sport Tournament
There are plans to run an Under 12 Tournament in September 2008 and an Under 11 Tournament in March 2009 at Glasgow School of Sport. At present authority is being requested and BADMINTONscotland will look at this in early June 2008. Information will be released in the coming months to keep you up-to-date with any developments.
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29 April 2008
Kenny Young Helps Lanarkshire Reach Premier B
S6 pupil Kenny Young played in the recent play offs for Lanarkshire in the British Inter Counties Championship. The team who won Division 1A competed against winners from Divisions 1B, C & D.
A first match against Hertfordshire was unlucky as the team lost 8-7. They went on to beat Kent 8-7 and then beat Wiltshire 10-5 on the Sunday.
The result will provide both Kirsty Gilmour and Fiona Archibald with great opportunities next season to compete for Lanarkshire as many of England’s top players play in Premier B for their respective counties. Congratulations to the Lanarkshire Team.
Report and results can be found on:
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15 April 2008
2008 Bank of Scotland Junior Badminton Championships Under13, Under 17 and Under 23
Josh and Adam share Under 13 Titles
Adam Hall managed a remarkable achievement by winning the National Singles title with a 21/19, 21/19 win over top seeded Josh Neil. Adam came through a tough match with Jordan Gilvear in the semi finals and then produced an outstanding performance to win the tournament. Adam who is still under 12 and can compete next year added this title to the under 13 mixed that he won last year. Josh Neil made up for the disappointment of the singles by competing in both doubles and mixed finals. Josh partnered by James Milton beat Adam Hall and Jordan Gilvear 21/18, 21/19 in a very tight match. Josh then went on to win the mixed doubles with partner Heather McPherson as they beat Jordan Gilvear and Lucy Nevin 21/17, 21/19.
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Adam Hall - Under 13 National Singles Champion |
Josh Neil - Under 13 National Doubles and Mixed Doubles Champion |
Overall the Under 13 players from Glasgow School of Sport performed well and managed to win all the boys’ events. A special mention must go to Jordan Gilvear for an excellent effort in reaching 2 finals and 1 semi final. Callum Riddell partnered Highland’s Joshua Holder and was unlucky to lose in 3 sets to Euan Cameron and Fraser Whillans. In the singles, Callum reached the last 16 before losing out to semi finalist Fraser Whillans. Calum Stevenson lost out in 3 sets in the singles to Mathew Weglicki and in an unlucky match lost out in the doubles with Thomas Qua , who will start at the school in August 2008.
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A first for Steven and Kaity
Steven Stewart overcame the odds and won the boys singles in the under 17 category. Favourite Paul Van Reitvelde was beaten by Andrew Gilliland which set up an exciting final. Steven won the first set 21/19 and Andrew came back with a strong 21/14 reversal. It was close by the middle of the third set, however Steven stayed ahead and won 21/15. It was a remarkable end to a great season for Steven and a nice reward for all his hard work. Kaity Hall also won her first National title in the Girls Doubles with long time partner Kirsten Geals. Kaity and Kirsten performed well to win the final 21/15, 21/15 over top seeds Kirsty McGlynn and reigning champion Gillian Sloan.
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Steven Stewart - Under 17 Singles Champion |
Kaity and Steven teamed up to reach the Mixed Doubles final and compete against last year’s winners Paul Van Reitvelde and Gillian Sloan. After a shaky start Steven and Kaity took the eventual winners to a third game before going down in 3 sets. Other encouraging performances came from Rebekka Findlay in the girls’ singles and Gregor McVean in the boys’ even though both were playing above their age groups. Robyn Glen also showed promise in the girls’ doubles.
In the Singles event Kirsty Gilmour faced Under 15 National Champion Kirsty McGlynn. Kirsty Gilmour controlled the match to win 21/17, 21/14. Again a brilliant achievement for both girls as they also contested the under 15 championships this season and can compete for the forthcoming 2 years at under 17 level. If both perform well at the Under 15 Quadrangular in Scotstoun at the end of April 2008 there could be an interesting re-match.
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Under 23
Kenny Young and Greg McLure were the only players from Glasgow School of Sport in this age group. Kenny lost out to Gordon Hoggan of Dunfermline in a 3 set semi final while Greg McLure lost in the first round to Jacob Van Den Berg. Greg formed a scratch partnership with Steven Doolan from Ayrshire and reached the semi finals.
Kenny partnered former School of Sport player Steven McPhail in the doubles. The boys reached the semi finals and had the better of Duncan Leith and Peter Hockey before losing in 21/13 in the 3 rd set.
Congratulations must go Stephen McPhail for winning the under 23 Singles title over Gordon Hoggan. Stephen still spends time training at the School of Sport and assists on a voluntary basis with the coaching of younger pupils. This signified a welcome return to form for Stephen as he continues to improve after a short break.
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Final Thoughts…
Glasgow School of Sport pupils captured 6 National Titles at Meadowbank out of a total of 11 entered. There were great performances from many players throughout the weekend including those players who have been selected to join the team in August 2008 as time spent training finally paid off.
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GSOS winners at National Junior Championships |
Assistant Performance Coach and Scottish Internationalist, Gordon Thomson was on hand as Bank of Scotland Ambassador for BADMINTONscotland to assist with presentations. Overall it was a good weekend and congratulations to the new Bank of Scotland National Junior Champions.
Under 13 Boys Singles Adam Hall
Under 13 Boys Doubles Josh Neil
Under 13 Mixed Doubles Josh Neil
Under 17 Girls Singles Kirsty Gilmour
Under 17 Boys Singles Steven Stewart
Under 17 Girls Doubles Kaity Hall
Results can be found on http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=20567
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26 March 2008
Kirsty and Gregor selected for Quadrangular Team
Kirsty Gilmour and Gregor McVean both in S3 have been selected to represent Scotland in the upcoming Under 15 Quadrangular which will be held in Scotstoun Badminton Academy on Friday 25 – Sunday 27 April 2008. Kirsty performed well in last year’s event which was held in England. For Gregor this is a well earned International call up after a successful season so far.
As this is a home event it is expected to be well attended with spectators and will be the first International outing for talented players at this level. Glasgow School of Sport coach Gordon Thomson will be in attendance as an International player and Bank of Scotland Ambassador to support this event on behalf of BADMINTONscotland. Finally best wishes to Kirsty and Gregor and wish them great success.
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24 March 2008
3 Titles in Aros Cup, Denmark – Unbelievable!
Glasgow School of Sport joined forces with BADMINTONscotland and Glasgow City Satellite Squad to compete in the prestigious Aros Cup which is held in Aarhus, Denmark. This year countries including England, Germany, Holland, Finland, Norway, Hungary and Sweden competed alongside a very strong Danish entry in this International Junior tournament for under 13 – under 19 players.
Adam Hall and Josh Neil travelled to this tournament with British success earlier in the season and this was a chance for the youngsters to test their skills against top opposition. Adam and Josh playing together for the first time in International events beat a Danish couple first round and then came through 3 times over 3 sets to reach the final. In the quarter final Adam and Josh beat top Swedish pair Andreas Norrell and Daniel Ojaar 6/21 21/14 21/19. This set them up for the final against Danish Number 2 pairing of Peter Correll and Jonas P. Rasmussen. The boys continued their outstanding form and won the tournament 21/16 21/17.
GSoS team at the Aros Cup |
GSoS boys at the Aros Cup |
Kirsty Gilmour on Podium with Celine Juel of Denmark |
Adam and Josh both won 2 matches to move through the group stages. Adam then lost to doubles finalist Peter Correll 21/17 21/13. Josh went on to beat Mark Caljouw from the Netherlands before losing in the quarter finals to Italy’s Randolf Dellenback 15/21 21/17 21/23. Both Adam and Josh performed very well. Josh had lost to the same player last year in a much easier contest. In the mixed doubles Adam paired with Anna Klinke who plays for the Greve BK near Copenhagen. They won their first game and then lost to a talented Danish pair in 3 sets. Josh partnered Isabella Sparre of Koge BK and reached the third round losing in 3 sets also.
Kirsty Gilmour travelling this time with Junior High Performance Squad continued her improved performances and Won the Under 15 Singles beating Danish Number 5 player Celine Juel 21/17 21/14. Kirsty had a good win over a Dutch girl in the quarter finals before winning in 2 sets in the semi final. In the mixed doubles Kirsty paired up with Tim Stranks of England and reached the quarter finals before losing to a Danish pair.
In the girls doubles Kirsty and Kirsty McGlynn reached the semi finals repeating their position from the Danish Junior Cup in October. After a very close first set of 27/25 the girls lost out 21/10 to Number 4 seeds of Line Koch and Emille Furbo of Denmark.
Kenny Young, winner of mixed doubles title last year paired up with Eilidh Ballantyne and reached the final of the mixed doubles at Under 19 level. They lost out in the final to top seeds Kristian Worm and Thilde Iverson of Denmark 21/12 21/16. This is encouraging for Eilidh as she will join the school programme in early June and hopefully this result will give her confidence to reach more finals next season. Kenny paired up with Danish player Philip Pavlowski won the under 19 doubles title with a win over Danish pair and top seeds Soren Gravholt and Kristian Worm in 2 sets. In the singles Kenny reached the semi final and lost out to Simon Baus Jenson of Denmark 21/16 21/17 after a very long day.
Overall the trip was encouraging for School of Sport players. Through the Satellite Squad Kaity Hall, Steven Stewart, Danny Leinster and Greg McLure all gained valuable experience. Adam, Josh, Kirsty and Kenny will have lasting memories of the Aros Cup as it’s very difficult to win events in Europe. For Kenny this will be his last event as a junior as Adam and Josh start their rise up the junior ranks.
Results from Aros Cup can be found at www.vibybk.dk/Aros/arosprogram.html
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Semi finals for Gregor McVean in Belgium
Gregor McVean and Robyn Glen travelled to Belgium to compete with players from 13 countries in the Victor Junior Olve Tournament as part of BADMINTONscotland National Junior Squad under 15.
Gregor progressed to the quarter final where he met Under 15 English National Champion Rhys Walker. Gregor won the match 21/16 16/21 21/16 for a memorable victory. In the semi finals Gregor lost to eventual winner Daniel Van Hooijdonk of Wales 21/15 21/15. Gregor and partner Mathew Carder reached the semi final of the boys doubles, losing out to a Belgian pair 21/14 6/21 21/18. Gregor partnered Robyn in the mixed doubles and played well to get through to the 2 nd round, where they lost out to England’s Tom Wolfenden and Holly Smith 21/11 21/14.
Robyn played well in her pool matches and managed to qualify for the knock out stage, by finishing runner up in her pool. In the knock out stage, Robyn lost to Zuzana Jerichova from the Czech Republic 21/14 21/19. Robyn and her partner Caitlin Pringle lost in the first round of the girl’s doubles in a close 3 set battle against Josie Latimer and Nicola Trafford of England 21/8 19/21 21/17.
All results from the tournament can be found at http://home.scarlet.be/olvebadminton/
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17 March 2008
Bellahouston Academy wins 10 titles at Scottish Schools Secondary Championship
The annual Scottish Schools Badminton Union held their secondary championships at Bells Sports Centre on 15/16 March 2008. Last year pupils from Bellahouston Academy won 11 titles and this year managed to win 10 titles and had 6 runners up throughout 3 age groups. Both Kenny Young and Kirsty Gilmour won 3 titles each.
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Kirsty and Kenny - Triple Winners at Scottish Schools 2008 |
Bellahouston Academy Finalists at Scottish Schools 2008 |
Results:
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Under 14 |
Boys Singles |
Josh Neil (Bellahouston) Beat Stewart Ferns (Fortrose Academy) 21.11 21.9 |
Girls Singles |
Rebekka Findlay (Bellahouston) Beat Rebecca Flint (Linlithgow) 21.17 21.9 |
Boys Doubles |
Adam Hall & Calvin Percival (Bellahouston) |
Mixed Doubles |
Calvin Percival & Rebekka Findlay (Bellahouston) |
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Under 16 |
Girls Singles |
Kirsty Gilmour ( Bellahouston ) Beat Kirsty McGlynn ( Bellahouston ) 21.11 26.24 |
Boys Doubles |
Allan Nixon & Jordan Black ( Marr College) |
Girls Doubles |
Kirsty Gilmour & Kirsty McGlynn (Bellahouston) |
Under 19 |
Boys Singles |
Kenneth Young (Bellahouston) Beat Fraser Michie ( Dalziel High ) 17.21 21.12 21.19 |
Girls Singles |
Kirsten Geals (Auchinleck Academy) Beat Kaity Hall (Bellahouston ) 21.17 21.19 |
Boys Doubles |
Steven Stewart & Kenneth Young ( Bellahouston ) |
Mixed Doubles |
Kenneth Young & Kirsty Gilmour ( Bellahouston ) |
12 March 2008
Scottish Schools Website
The Schools organisation Scottish Schools Badminton Union has recently set up a website. All future schools information, results and entry forms can be found on www.ssbu.co.uk
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3 March 2008
Kenny and Kaity in quarters at Dutch Junior International
Sixth year students Kenny Young and Kaity Hall reached the quarter finals of the Dutch Junior last week in Haarlem, Netherlands. In the third round the pair beat top seeds David Horacek and Petra Hofmanova of the Czech Republic in the last 32 and then a pair from Turkey to reach the quarters. At this point Kenny and Kaity faced tough opposition from Malaysia, one of the Worlds top badminton nations. Kai Ming Chooi and Jing Yi Tee beat the scots pair 21/10 21/11.
In the singles Kenny reached the last 32 before running close to top seeded Malaysian Iskandar-Zulkarnian Zainuddin 19/21 21/17 9/21. A truly spirited performance that should give Kenny confidence for the future. In the ladies singles Kaity lost in the first round to a Dutch girl and Kirsty McGlynn lost out to Debbie Janssens of Belgium 11/21 13/21. The girls paired up in the doubles event and lost to Zykova and Perminova of Russia 19/21 15/21.
Overall a very useful event for Kenny to gauge his progress since last year’s event. For both Kirsty and Kaity this would provide a platform as they look to achieve selection to European Junior Team this coming season.
Results can be found on http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=18436
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West of Scotland Championships Under 15 / Under 19
Glasgow School of Sport players were in action at the West Juniors. Overall some great performances including Ashar Mirza win over National Squad player Darren Love of Highlands . Steven Stewart continued his success as he moved up to win at under 19 winning over former School of Sport pupil Kyle Longmuir . Kirsty Gilmour opted to compete at under 19 although still able to compete at Under 15 level. Kirsty performed well ands won the singles event.
At under 15 level Gregor McVean showed that hard work does pay off as he beat Lewis Gallacher and then top seed and National Champion Mathew Carder. Gregor was runner up in the doubles as he partnered Mathew. Rebekka Findlay continued to progress and lost narrowly to Emma Cook in 3 sets. Robyn Glen partnered Caitlin Pringle to win their second event in a row with a win over Anna Kay and Shereen Spittal.
Results: Under 15
- Boys Singles; Gregor McVean beat Mathew Carder ( Edinburgh )
- Girls Singles: Emma Cook (Mauchline) beat Rebekka Findlay
- Boys Doubles: Peter Walker (Dundee)/Lewis Gallacher ( Kilmarnock ) beat Mathew Carder/Gregor McVean
- Girls Doubles: Caitlin Pringle ( Glasgow )/Robyn Glen beat Anna Kay/Shereen Spittal (Ayrshire)
- Mixed Doubles: Lewis Gallacher/Caitlin Pringle Beat Emma Cook/Calvin Percival ( Greenock )
Results: Under 19
- Boys Singles: Steven Stewart beat Kyle Longmuir (Bothwell)
- Girls Singles: Kirsty Gilmour beat Kirsten Geals (Mauchline)
- Boys Doubles: Andrew Gilliland ( Glasgow )/Michael Campbell ( Edinburg ) beat Patrick McHue ( Fife )/Steven Stewart
- Girls Doubles: Kirsten Geals/Vicky Svetanova (Glasgow) beat Fiona Archibald/Emma Gallacher (Lanarkshire)
- Mixed Doubles: Craig Morrison/Emma Gallacher (Lanarkshire) beat Andrew Gilliland /Kirsten Geals
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27 February 2008
Under13 Boys Going for Gold
On completion of the final Gold event of the year Josh Neil, Adam Hall and Jordan Gilvear have been in dominating form as they share many of the titles from the six events held this year. BADMINTONengland have been responsible for Gold events in Milton Keynes , Sussex , Thornton , Nottingham, Sheffield and Cwmbran ( Wales ). With the exception of the event in Wales all of the other events attracted players from the Glasgow School of Sport.
The events attracted the best juniors from all over the UK and the standard of play is considerably higher and tougher than each of the home countries domestic events. Potentially many of these young players will go on to represent their countries as they get older and the Gold circuit is an excellent starting point for any future stars.
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Under 13 Medallists Josh Neil, Adam Hall and Jordan Gilvear |
Josh, Adam and Jordan have amassed a total of 31 medals at the events comprising of 15 Gold, 10 Silver and 6 Bronze. At the under 13 age level winning is not the main focus even though the three boys have had great success. The main focus fior the players of this age must be to develop the skills and attributes to enable them to compete on a top European level as juniors and eventually on to world level as they move through senior ranks. With the determination, dedication and desire to improve all three boys have shown they are willing to work hard to gain recognition in future and at a much higher level.
Congratulations to Jordan, Adam and Josh and we wish them every success as they move into a new age group next season.
All information on Gold, Silver and Bronze events can be found on www.badmintonengland.co.uk
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25 February 2008
Former pupil wins Glasgow Open Senior
Former pupil of Glasgow School of Sport Stephen McPhail won his first senior title at the Glasgow Open. Stephen defeated S6 player Kenny Young in 3 sets in the semi final before coming through a tough match with Dunfermline’s Gordon Hogan. Stephen was down 17/13 in the third set and managed to gain victory at 21/19 in the third. Stephen is currently studying an HND in Sports Coaching at North Glasgow College and has been on work placement on a weekly basis at the School of Sport.
In the doubles event Kenny Young partnered Hamilton’s Jamie Neill to reach the semi finals before losing out in two sets to the experienced pair of David Gilmour and Craig Robertson who went on to win the title. The younger players had entered for experience and Steven Stewart reached the final of the plate in men’s doubles while Danny Leinster, Steven Byers and Greg McLure all performed well and gained valuable match practice at senior level.
Kaity Hall was the sole representative in the ladies event after Lisa McMullen had to withdraw. Kaity won the mixed doubles plate event with partner Fraser Michie and also reached the semi finals of the ladies doubles with partner Helen McCombe.
Results can be found at http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=19579
SSBU U14 Age Group Singles – Wishaw SC
Rebekka Findlay continued her recent success with a win at the Under 14 event held in Wishaw Sports Centre. Rebekka won all he matches and gained victories over Megan Richardson and Hannah Laing, both of Know Academy . On the boys side Ben Torrance was runner up to Stewart Ferns of Highland and finished ahead of Fraser Whiilans and Alastair Hastings.
In the eventual order Steven Mann finished in 8 th place and Martin McLean in 9 th. Under 13 player Calum Stevenson also made steady progress and finished 19 th. The next event with this format will be held on 29/30 March.
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Gold U13 – Sheffield 23/24 February 2008
Lena Robertson travelled to Sheffield for the last Gold event of the season to be held in Sheffield Institute of Sport. The usual players of Josh Neil, Adam Hall and Jordan Gilvear had entered and Callum Riddell travelled to his first Gold event. James Milton of Mauchline competed the group as they looked to gain as much success as previous Gold event had offered.
Josh Neil won the singles title with a win over Aaron Alderman of Buckinghmshire 21/15 21/17. Adam Hall and Jordan Gilvear made up the other semi finalists. In the previous event Adam Hall had beaten both Josh and Jordan however this time Josh came up the winner. Calum Riddell played well to get through the pool system and then went out to one of England ’s top players Sam Parsons. As this was the first event at this level Calum managed to hold his own and should look to progress into events of this level in the future. Finally James Milton won through his group before losing to the top Welsh Player Michael Kinnear.
In the doubles both pairs competed in the final against each other for the 3 rd time. In a reversal of the Gold in Nottingham Adam Hall and Jordan Gilvear won the final beating James and Josh 21/17 19/21 21/13. Again this final was played with good sportsmanship and all players showed competence in their doubles play. Callum Riddell played with A. Vacher in an open entry however failed to get out of the group stage.
In the mixed Doubles Josh and partner Brittany Ashton won the title with a win over Garnham and Birch 21/13 21/14. This is the second success in Mixed as Josh and Brittany won the event in January. Adam and partner Natalie Chan-Lam ( Yorkshire ) lost in the quarter finals to the runners up Garnham and Birch.
All Gold results can be found at
20 February 2008
Robyn and Gregor to compete in Belgium
Robyn Glen and Gregor McVean have been invited to compete as part of the National under 15 Squad in and event to be held in Belgium over Easter weekend. The Victor Olve Junior will be hosted by Olve Badminton Club. In the past this has grown to be a truly International affair and this year has again attracted entrants from many countries. As one of the National Coaches, Lena Robertson will travel with the team of 6 boys and 6 girls and work alongside David Cunningham of Dalkeith.
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4 February 2008
Kenny Young reaches Semi Finals at National Senior
Sixth year Kenny Young reached the semi final of the men’s doubles at the recent National Badminton Championships in Perth with partner Jamie Neill from Hamilton . Kenny and Jamie had a great win in the quarter finals against Colin Hill and Keith Turnbull when they came through in 3 sets. In the semi final Kenny and Jamie faced David Gilmour and Andy Bowman who have recently paired together to pursue International Selection for the Thomas Cup. Kenny and Jamie played well before losing 23/21 and 21/9.
In the Men’s Singles Kenny lost out to former partner and School of Sport member Stephen McPhail. Stephen went onto the quarter finals and eventually lost to Gordon Thomson . Gordon works as an Assistant High Performance Coach at the School of Sport and led by example as he reached the final to face Craig Goddard. Gordon lost out in a narrow first set 21/19 and Craig pulled away to win the title in 2 sets.
On the ladies front, Lisa McMullen faced Internationalist Linda Sloan. This was a rear opportunity for Lisa and she performed well. Losing the first game 21/13 Lisa had a chance of a knock off to lead 20-19, however narrowly missed this and Linda went on to win the second 21/19. Lisa partnered Alison Marr and lost out to semi finalists Jillie Cooper and Linda Sloan 21/6 and 21/16.
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Age Group Mixed Doubles U14
Congratulations to new partnership of Calvin Percival ( Bellahouston Academy ) and Rebekka Findlay who won the age group event at Wishaw Sports Centre. This came after a number of couples won matches in the group play offs and placed Josh Neil and partner Heather Campbell into third place.
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Steven Stewart |
Rebekka Findlay |
Sheffield Gold Challenger Under 17
Kaity Hall partnered England ’s Sarah Milne in the recent circuit event held at the English Institute of Sport. The pair reached the semi final stage before losing to Jessica Fletcher and Helena Lewczynska in 3 sets 22-20 in the final set. Kirsty McGlynn lost out in the semi finals to Lauren Smith in 2 close sets. Kirsty Gilmour lost to Alyssa Lim in a close encounter 21/19 and 22/20.
In the boys events Steven Byers managed to win through the group stage and lost to Josh Green in 3 sets in the last 16. Steven Stewart and Danny Leinster failed to progress through the group stages. In the doubles Steven Stewart partnered Edinburgh ’s Michael Campbell reached the quarter final stage.
Kirsty McGlynn and Craig Pollock playing for the first time after a serious injury and reached the quarter finals in the mixed doubles. The trip was an interesting one with many of the Scottish entrants playing each other in the group stages. This was the last of the Gold Challenger events at under 17 level. Many of the players will now move onto compete in the Under 18 Circuit for the remainder of the season.
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27 January 2008
Glasgow Schools Under 14
The following player qualified for the Scottish Schools Badminton Championships to be held in Perth in mid March:
- Boys Singles: Adam Hall, Calvin Percival ( Bellahouston Academy )
- Girls Singles: Rebekka Findlay
- Boys Doubles; Adam Hall/Calvin Percival and Josh Neil/Ben Torrance
- Mixed Doubles; Rebekka Findlay and Calvin Percival
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20 January 2008
Scottish Boys Continue Gold Success
Nottingham played host to the latest Badminton England Gold under 13 Event. The usual players of Adam Hall, Josh Neil and Jordan Gilvear represented the Glasgow School of Sport and were joined by James Milton of Mauchline. The seedlings were kind to our players due to their previous successes however Josh Neil, singles winner from the Sussex event was unseeded. Josh showed that seeding was of no concern and easily made his way through to the semi finals to play top seed Adam Hall. In the other half Jordan Gilvear managed to win through 22-20 in the quarter final after a very heated and emotional match.
Adam turned around a first set defeat to win through 11/21 21/17 and 21/16 while Jordan defeated Marc Sadler of Hertfordshire 21/15 21/17. Adam again came back from a set down with a gritty and determined comeback to win the tournament 11/21 21/17 and 21/16. This was a great performance from Adam who also won the previous Gold event in mid December
In the doubles event both couples played three set matches on route to the final showing the depth of English players at this age. In the final Adam and Josh were able to win the middle set while James and Josh came out winner’s 22/20 13/21 and 21/16. For both couples this was the second time that the couples had competed in three sets during gold event finals.
The mixed doubles saw the three Scottish players paired with top English players. James Milton partnered Serena Midha but lost in the group stages to the eventual semi finalists. Adam Hall, winner of mixed at the Thornton Gold partnered Yorkshires Natalie Chan-Lam. Adam and Natalie fought hard but lost out in a close contest to Eve O Sullivan and Sam Parsons from Warwickshire 19/21 21/11 and 21/16. Adam and Natalie show that they both have a great future in mixed doubles as they are both under 12 players. Josh Neil partnered Brittany Ashton and won through to the final over the top Welsh pairing. Josh and Brittany came back to win the final in the third set 21/16.
Overall a great performance from the boys winning the boys singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The last Gold event for under 13 will take place at Sheffield in February. This will be the final challenge for the boys prior to moving up to under 14 tournaments towards the end of the season.
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Lisa and Kirsty win at under 18
Lisa McMullen and Kirsty McGlynn were both winners at the Under 18 Sussex Open this weekend. Lisa won girls singles event beating Gemma Whitin 21/14 12/21 and 21/19. Kirsty McGlynn made it through to the semi finals before losing to Lisa 22/20 21/10. Having competed in the Belgium Junior together both Kirsty and Lisa were now opponents in the doubles with different partners. Lisa paired with School of Sport player Kaity Hall and Kirsty played with National Under 19 Doubles Champion Catriona Lawlor from Cumbernauld. The girls doubles was played in a pool system. Firstly Lisa and Kaity lost to Gemma and Mirium Beales 21/19 21/13. Kirsty and Catriona went on to beat the English pair and finally the head to head led to Kaity and Lisa winning 21/19 21/12 over Kirsty and Catriona.
Kirsty McGlynn partnered Paul Van Reitvelde from Longniddry to win the mixed doubles event. A great performance led them to win the match in 3 sets against Catriona Lawlor and James Buffham from England . This came on the back of a great performance at the Belgium Junior where Kirsty and Paul reached the final.
With the Commonwealth Junior Games due to take place in Pune , India in summer this event formed part of the qualification events to achieve selection to the team. There are events such as Nottingham Junior u18 in February and the German and Dutch Junior in March which will also contribute to the selection events. Finally this is a great start to the selection process for the School of Sport players however the stakes will be even higher at the international events when the rest of Europe and Asian players arrive to compete.
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August – December 2007 Review
Glasgow School of Sport badminton players have been part of the busiest programme to date mainly due to the increasing demands of competition required. Already players have competed in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Turkey and of course the four home nations. The current programme has 26 players involved which are made up of 3 groups. Years 1 and 2 train together with 9 players, years 3 and 4 train together with 10 players and years 5 and 6 train together with a total of 7 players. During training the players have access to the coaching team to ensure maximum development. Overall training and competition programmes are in place to ensure each individual has an opportunity to maximise their potential with an aim of developing into players aiming to achieve National Squad and Team selection. From players such as Kirsty Gilmour, Kirsty McGlynn, Kaity Hall, Lisa McMullen , Steven Stewart and Kenny Young have all been involved at International level.
Links have been forged firstly with Belgium. This is of course down to Alan McIlvain (former High Performance Coach) at the School of Sport working as Belgium National Coach. Since the summer period School of Sport players have attended 2 separate camps in Belgium and we received a visit from two of their top girls for training at the school. In addition to this the Belgium National Team visited the School of Sport during the Sudirman Cup firstly to train and then also met some of our up and coming players. For the second year players from Glasgow City Satellite Squad attended the Vaestra Frulunda event in Gothenburg, Sweden. Finally new links were established with a French group in Castlenaudary near Toulouse. We are hopeful to host the group next season for a friendly match and competition in a Scottish event. As well as an exchange this proved a fine opportune it for our players to learn and practice their language skills.
On the competition front all players have benefited from the experiences at domestic events in Scotland and England as well as abroad. Highlights include Kirsty McGlynn winning 3 events at the National Championships along with Kirsty Gilmour in Doubles and Gregor McVean in Mixed Doubles. Gregor also won doubles title at the Nationals at Under 15 level. Lisa McMullen won Under 19 Singles title at the Nationals which is an outstanding achievement as Lisa joined the school through a primary talent programme as a beginner and has worked very hard throughout her time at the School of Sport. At the under 15 Danish Junior Cup Kirsty Gilmour and Kirsty McGlynn reached the semi finals before losing to the eventual winners. Kirsty Gilmour won through to the quarter finals before losing to Danish No 2. Finally in Sweden Josh Neil was runner up in Vaestra Frulunda under 13 singles event.
In England, Kirsty Gilmour won Singles and Doubles at the Under 17 Gold event held in Bristol. Josh Neil, Adam Hall and Jordan Gilvear have all equipped themselves among the very best in Great Britain with wins in many of the under 13 Gold Challengers. Overall the competition results are only an indication of how the players are progressing, however this is a small part of their development as they strive for success at senior level.
On the training courts all players have benefited from the summer programme and continue to work on all aspects of their game. 1st Year pupils normally have 9 – 10 hours training per week, 3rd years have 10 – 12 hours training per week and 5/6th years have in excess of 14 hours per week. This is carefully worked around their education requirements and the first half of the season has gone smoothly with exams starting in early January 2008.
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New entrants for August 2008
The annual Open Day was held on Saturday 24th November 2007 for entry to the School of Sport in 2008. Over 250 people came along to Bellahouston Academy from all over Scotland including the Isle of Lewis, Inverness, Mauchline, Stirling and Haddington. It was the busiest School Open Day in history and led to applicants applying for places next year. The selection process for badminton includes a specific trial day mainly for entry into first year which is held in early January. All entries into years 3, 5 and 6 are expected to have prior playing and competition experience and along with the first year applicants are then selected to further trials and interviews to secure places starting in August 2008.
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What’s in store for 2008?
The second half of this season will start differently for Kirsty McGlynn and Kirsty Gilmour as they will attend the Commonwealth Games Camp in early January as the council outline plans for the teams going to the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India during 2008. The events in England at Challenger level in all age groups, domestic events and International events will all widen the opportunities for School of Sport players during the second half of the season. Top events in Belgium, Denmark, Holland and Germany will provide top opposition for the players.
As players strive to represent Scotland selection will be on the minds of many. There is Under 17 and Under 15 Quadrangular (U15 in Scotstoun), qualification to Commonwealth Youth Games will provide tough opposition for the players and may play a spring board to represent Scotland at next years European Junior Championships. In addition to competition School of Sport Players will continue to reach standards to attain National Squad, Team and BADMINTONscotland’s Junior High Performance Selection.
