Sinead is back in international fold after national title

Alpha star Sinead Chambers came out on international retirement this week after earning Ireland's call.
Sinead Chambers. Photo by Aaron McCracken/HarrisonsSinead Chambers. Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons
Sinead Chambers. Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons

She is currently competing in the European Team Championships to be staged in Kazan, Russia after showing her country what they had been missing.

She put in a starring display at the Carlton Irish National Senior Championships, winning the women’s doubles, reaching the mixed final and giving Ireland’s top star Chloe Magee a fright in the singles.

The doubles-specialist partnered Jennie King to the title and eased past Kate Frost and Moya Ryan in straight sets after the latter pair had been pushed all the way by Alpha’s Beth Stephenson and her partner Clodagh Dunne.

In the final, Chambers and King faced Fiona and Pauline Glennon and it was the unseeded pair who were to take a one set advantage 21-15 before the seasoned partnership got their game together to take the title in 35 minutes 21-8 21-10.

With Ireland’s Sam and Chloe Magee named as favourites for the mixed doubles title, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Sinead and her brother Ciaran.

They began well, brushing aside Enda Daly and Fiona Farrell and Mark Cobbe and Norma Magee to reach the semi-finals.

Ciaran and sinead booked their place in the final in straight sets over Sam McKay and Jennie King. However, in the decider, they were to find the gap between themselves and the full-time Magees too great to overcome.

In the Women’s Singles Alpha’s Beth Stephenson recorded a fine 21-14 21-14 victory over Terenure College’s Kate Frost only to lose out to second seed Sara Boyle 21-16 21-14. Kerri Scott was certainly not overawed by Badminton Ireland Academy’s Moya Ryan before going down 21-17 21-12.

Judith McClure from Banbridge District gave top junior player Clodagh Dunne more than a few things to think about while in the Women’s Doubles there were some very fine performances from Caroline Black and Kerri Scott who knocked out Lakewood’s Ciara O’Connor and Gemma Tobin.

In the Men’s Singles, Alpha’s Jon McCreedy knocked out John Finnegan 21-12 21-17 while in the doubles Ciaran Chambers teamed up with Mark Brady to beat Mark Cobbe and Eddie Cousins as well as David Gannon and Nicholas Murphy and set up a semi-final encounter against top seeds, Ireland’s Joshua and Sam Magee.

Brady and Chambers didn’t embarrass themselves before going down 21-14 21-13 to the eventual champions.

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