This years UKAF badminton Championships were held at RAF Halton from the 24th to the 28th of March with the RAF hosting this years annual event.
After numerous training weekends across England working on the teams skills, drills and working through new pairings in the level doubles and mixed doubles, the Army team has entered this years competition with a strong will to win.
Starting the week of in the Open competition, where Capt Keady Smith is runner-up in the singles final against the RAFs number 1 singles player.
Following on from her singles final, Capt Keady Smith finds herself in another final this time along with her partner LCpl Imogen Storey (Intel), who go onto winning the ladies Open doubles final.
The men’s pairings are also walking away with some very impressive results in the open competition with 3 out of 4 pairs competing in the semi finals. Finishing off with a runners up place in the final for Pte Prashant Rai and WO1 Joseph Subba.
Finally for the Masters competition to end the open competition on a high they walk away with 1st place for SSgt R. Rai and Sgt D. Pun.
Moving forward in the week where the team event begins.
Overall results of the men competition against the RAF are:
Army 5- RAF 8
Ladies competition results are:
Army 4- RAF 9
The results don’t show how close lots of the individual games have been with many of them going to three sets, or ends being lost by few points- there has been some exceptional playing from the Army Team.
A very tight game played by Sgt Gareth Oates against RAF number 1 player S1 Jacob Marklew with a score of 21-17 and 21-19, sadly not walking away with the win this time round.
Also, a game that stood out for Capt Keady Smith against RAF number 1- a repeat of the individual event final, taking it to 3 sets but finishing it victorious this time around.
A very tight Womens doubles 1v1 got the crowed going, also going to 3 sets for Capt Keady Smith and her partner LCpl Imogen Storey sadly just getting beaten by the RAF on the last set 21-17.
Results of the Army v Navy in both Mens and Womens proved heavily in the favour of the Army team, although again there were some close games the Army dominated overall.
Although the Army team have lost out on the team event again to a very strong RAF team, there has been a lot to take away from the week and some promising signs of things to come.
