English gamers of all ages not too long ago competed on the 2024 European Senior Championships in Belgium, returning residence with a powerful 10 titles.
Rajeev Bagga was the frontrunner, successful two gold medals. He gained the blended doubles title for the over-55s, partnering with fellow countrywoman Liz Austin (their opponents Jan-Eric Antonsson and Hanne Bertelsen sadly needed to retire throughout the match on account of damage). He then gained the lads’s doubles title for the over-55s, partnering with Henrik Lykke of Denmark.
Bagga was the one participant to win a number of titles, however there have been loads of others who excelled at a number of occasions.
Within the youthful age teams, the English gamers confronted stiff competitors from throughout Europe, with an rising variety of ex-pro tour gamers collaborating, however they nonetheless managed to attain some nice outcomes. Of specific word is Alex Marritt, who got here residence with silver medals within the over-45 males’s singles and blended doubles, partnering Rebecca Pantaney, and bronze within the over-40 males’s doubles with Paul Le Tocq.
Within the over-35 blended doubles, Nick Hodgson and Sarah Burgess reached the semi-finals in nice type, however misplaced 21-10 22-20 to the quantity two seed and completed with a well-deserved bronze medal.
The older age teams in England are all the time sturdy and Belgium didn’t disappoint.
In a very sturdy age group for England, the over-55s introduced residence a number of medals. Along with Bagga and Austin’s blended doubles gold, gold medals additionally went to Caroline Hale within the girls’s singles in an exhilarating three-setter in opposition to Germany’s Tanya Eberl, and to Jane Ashfold and Sara Foster within the girls’s doubles, beating compatriots Julie Bradbury and Debbie Miller. Rounding out the medal haul have been bronzes for Hale and Austin within the girls’s doubles, Jon Austin and Mark Golds within the males’s doubles, Ashfold and Betty Blair within the girls’s singles, and Jon Austin and Sue Crompton within the blended doubles.
Elsewhere, Elizabeth MacTaggart, in her first look on the European Senior Championships, gained the ladies’s doubles for the over-60s, along with scratch associate Maureen Oskam of the Netherlands. That may be a outstanding achievement.
Within the over 70s, one other sturdy age class for England, Christine Crossley got here from behind to be topped over 70s girls’s singles champion, whereas Betty Bartlett and Brenda Creasey took the ladies’s doubles title and Peter Emptage and Graham Holt accomplished the Golds’ trio within the males’s doubles. English gamers have been additionally victorious within the over 75s blended and ladies’s doubles, with Michael Cox and Linda Coombes rising victorious in an all-English affair within the blended doubles, beating Jim Garrett and Mary Jenner, with Sue Awcock and Sylvia Gill triumphing within the girls’s doubles.
If you’re over 35 and fascinated with enjoying Masters Badminton, there are various tournaments and county competitions out there. Discover out extra right here: https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/on-court/masters-competition