Internationals back Adidas Juvenile League

Sixteen teams from the host club Alpha, Coleraine, Banbridge, Carryduff and Loughbrickland were split into two divisions and the teams were all kept on tenter hooks as the final results could not have been closer.

The Finals Day also gave players a rare opportunity to see international players in action with two-times World Para champion Niall McVeigh in action against his Alpha teammate Luke Irvine, a European Silver medallist.

Former Alpha internationals Michael Watt and Eugene McKenna also turned the clock back yet again when they defeated two of Alpha’s top junior players Norman Lau and Ryan Getty in an action packed two sets.

Division One saw Alpha Avators come out on top of the Team Championship ahead of the Alpha Barbarians and Alpha Devils in third place but Coleraine Smasher A pushed Alpha Cadets into fifth place.

The Avators, however, were beaten into third place in the Boys Singles by their clubmates Barbarians, who won by just a point, while the Alpha Cadets were well worth their runners-up spot.

Alpha Devils topped the table in Girls Doubles, pushing Avators into second place while Banbridge White Tigers were to edge into the top three.

Avators were pressed all the way for the top spot in the Boys Doubles by Coleraine Smasher A with only two points separating the top three places while Coleraine Smasher A were runners-up in the Mixed Doubles ahead of the Avators.

A statistic which showed the overall strength in depth of the home club in Division One was that the Alpha teams failed to finish in the top three in only three of six tables.

Division Two saw Coleraine Smasher B lift the Team Championship ahead of Alpha Fighters captained by Ross Treacy with Alpha Hackers, captained by Ellie Bamford in third place.

However, the Fighters with Peter Hemphill in the side were to top the Boys Singles table with Coleraine Smasher B in runners-up spot and the Alpha Gladiators captained by Thomas Storey in third.

Alpha Fighters were to also finish top in both the Boys Doubles and Mixed Doubles tables while the Hackers finished top in the Girls Singles.

It is a real delight to see former internationals like Eugene McKenna and Michael Watt continue to be involved in the sport and both were full of praise for the Adidas All Stars Juvenile League.

“The organisers have done a brilliant job and it is not an easy job to introduce something new to the traditional badminton calendar,” admitted McKenna.

“The organisation has been very slick. The youngsters have really enjoyed themselves and I trust it will become a permanent fixture.

“With the two divisions, it has given those who may not normally be included in the club sides an opportunity to compete and it was a very enjoyable event.”

Watt was also full of praise: “The format, with sides having two matches each week, was excellent for coaches, parents and especially the players.

“It offered more kids a chance to play in a competitive match and it was a great innovation to have the teams kitted out in different tops, easily identifying each side.

“The organisers also maintained excellent communications with the various teams with regular updates. There was a fine array of silverware for the winners and it was fitting that the final destination of prizes was in doubt right up to the end of the competition.”

Mr Watt concluded that whilst the organisers may wish to tweak a few things about the competition, he would be very happy to see next year’s competition retaining the same format.