A Bonanza of Badminton, Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre, Truro, 19 November 2017
Over 60 badminton players from all over Cornwall, Plymouth and north Devon, gathered at the 8 court Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre in Truro at the weekend to take part in Cornwall Badminton Association’s latest Bonanza.
The idea of Badminton Bonanza tournaments is to give both social players and those who play league badminton a chance to try out and develop their skills against different players. The many regulars were joined this time by some very welcome new faces, some playing in a tournament for the first time, as the Bonanza goes from strength to strength, with any profits going towards developing badminton in Cornwall.
This year’s tournament at Truro was another great success, with some close fought battles in all the 5 different disciplines and a great day of badminton.
In the social events there were tightly contested matches, with some new winners in the men’s and women’s events. The men’s singles proved to be the final of the day and was won by Alan Spencer from St Ives for the first time, when he just beat Camborne’s Martin Penney in an exciting, evenly matched affair.
Social singles finalists Social men’s winners Social mixed finalists
Once again, St Austell’s Sanaa Roff was the only women singles contestant, and she competed well in the men’s section. The men’s doubles was another close contest which saw St Austell’s Mansell Ahmed and Sha Uddin just beat Martin Penney and his regular partner Steve Knuckey. In the mixed doubles, again a St Austell pair took the title, as Ashley Southey and Tracey Cooke came top, with the luckless Martin Penney and his partner Dee Frost finishing runners up.
For the combined women’s doubles, last year’s winners from Pool, Kay Bossenger and Debbie Blight, once again triumphed, beating the Devon pair Michelle Wylde and Jackie Anderson to the title, with Dee Frost and Deborah Peters of Camborne winning the social doubles medals.
Women’s doubles finalists – league and social
The league events also had some hard fought, skilful badminton, and in the men’s singles last year’s winner from St Ives, Tony Wong showed his fitness and experience in beating Rick Kisslay, a student from Falmouth.
League Men’s singles finalists Men’s doubles finalists Mixed doubles finalists
There was another tight final for the men’s doubles with Stuart Larter and Gary Braunton from Pool taking on Camborne’s Danny Gillman and James Cassidy. Stuart and Gary finally repeated their success of last year with some more consistent, well-matched play to win in the end. The mixed doubles this year was won by the Devon partnership of Ben Hammill and Michelle Wylde who pipped runners up Gary Braunton and Debbie Blight to top spot, to complete an excellent day’s badminton.
Results –
League men’s singles – winner Tony Wong, runner up Rick Kisslay
Social men’s singles - winner Alan Spencer, runner up Martin Penney
Social ladies’ singles – winner Sanaa Roff
League men’s doubles – winners Stuart Larter/Gary Braunton, runners up Danny Gillman/James Cassidy
League ladies’ doubles – winners Kay Bossenger/Debbie Blight, runners up Jackie Anderson/Michelle Wylde
Social men’s doubles – winners Mansell Ahmed/Sha Uddin, runners up Martin Penney/Steve Knuckey
Social ladies doubles – winners Dee Frost/Deborah Peters
League mixed doubles – winners Ben Hammill/Michelle Wylde, runners up Gary Braunton/Debbie Blight
Social mixed doubles – winners Ashley Southey/Tracey Cooke, runners up Martin Penney/Dee Frost
