Ulster Masters shows badminton off in Lisburn

Badminton is very much a participation sport and at Alpha Badminton Club they see such a variety of players, youngsters just being introduced to the sport right through to league players competing in the Ulster League right up to the current Ulster and Irish players.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Feb 2014, 20:00 BST
L to Right Eugene McKenna and Graham Henderson who won the mens doubles. Extreme right is Michael Watt who won the mens singles title at the Roadside Motors Ulster Masters. (2nd from right is Brian McKee, former international who competed in the Mixed Doubles 55+). Eugene, Graham and Michael all play at Alpha.L to Right Eugene McKenna and Graham Henderson who won the mens doubles. Extreme right is Michael Watt who won the mens singles title at the Roadside Motors Ulster Masters. (2nd from right is Brian McKee, former international who competed in the Mixed Doubles 55+). Eugene, Graham and Michael all play at Alpha.
L to Right Eugene McKenna and Graham Henderson who won the mens doubles. Extreme right is Michael Watt who won the mens singles title at the Roadside Motors Ulster Masters. (2nd from right is Brian McKee, former international who competed in the Mixed Doubles 55+). Eugene, Graham and Michael all play at Alpha.

Alpha can boast of the Para world champion in Niall McVeigh and other members of the Irish squad but last weekend at the Roadside Motors Lisburn Ulster Masters spectators were treated to players in the 40-70 age group enjoying their sport.

Michael Watt dominated Irish badminton in a career which saw him win his first cap in 1985 winning nigh on a century of caps and countless national titles but he still plays league badminton and despite lifting the Irish Masters a month ago he went on to add the Ulster title beating John Kiernan 21-4 21-11.

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In the Mens Doubles 40 class Michael Turkington and Michael Watt were bidding to gain revenge for a narrow defeat by former international colleagues of Watt, Graham Henderson and Eugene McKenna who had snatched the title from their grasp a month ago but this time, and with McKenna fully recovered from injury, Watt and Turkington had to survive an early scare when Paul Devlin and Stephen Galway threatened to rip up the script, taking them to three nail-biting sets in a match which lasted 56 minutes before Watt and Turkington faced the Irish Master champions.

The much awaited clash did not on this occasion live up to expectations however, and it was Henderson and McKenna who secured the title 21-7 21-11.

Henderson was then to partner Alpha’s Doreen McClements in the Mixed Doubles 50 and ran out winners 21-17 21-12 over Aubrey Cox and Pam Peard while Doreen was to partner Imelda Breen in the womens doubles 50 class finishing runner-up to Lynne Anderson and Carol Dunbar 10-21 21-14 21-17. Tony Clarke who won the Irish Mens Doubles 65 title had to be content with third place with David Kenny in the 60 class won by Kevin McGrath and Derek Murtagh,runners up Israel Abernethy and Harry McAuley. Clarke was runner-up in both the Singles – beaten 21-18 21-19 by David Kenny – and in the mixed doubles when in partnering Dympna Sheridan they were beaten 21-19 21-15.

Related topics:Ulster