28 November 2024
Paralympians Daniel Bethell and Jack Shephard successfully defended their singles titles at the 2024 UK Para Badminton Championships.
Bethell, who won silver at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, retained his men’s SL3 singles title while Shephard made it a fourth-consecutive triumph in the men’s SH6 class.
Shephard was also victorious in the SH6 men’s doubles alongside fellow Paralympian Krysten Coombs.
There were also singles victories for Jack Wilson, in the men’s SU5 class, Anthony Forster in the SL4, David Follett in the WH1 and Gregor Anderson in the WH2.
The women’s singles classes saw victory for Anya Butterworth in the SH6 class, as she halted Paris Paralympian Rachel Choong’s reign as UK champion, who unfortunately had to pull out due to illness.
Lesley Linham earned her maiden title in the WH2 class, while Emma Stoner took the SL4 crown for the fourth time in a row and Cambell Plant won the SL3 class.
Stoner and Plant then teamed up to take the SL3/U5 women’s doubles title, while Linham combined with Arlene McManus for victory in the WH1/2 women’s doubles.
Singles victors Follett and Anderson combined forces to great aplomb in the WH1/2 men’s doubles, while it was success for Forster and William Smith in the SL3/4 men’s doubles.
Robert Donald and Curnow Pirbhai Clarke emerged victorious in the SU5 men’s doubles.
The standing mixed doubles title went to Donald and Cambell, while Chris Stewart teamed up with Linham for her third title of the day in the WH mixed doubles.
Anya Butterworth also secured a second title, combining with Isaac Masion in the SH6 mixed doubles.
Para Badminton GB head coach Rich Morris said: “It was the best UK Champs to date. All the Paralympians were there and we had a record-breaking number of juniors enter the tournament.
“We had a nine-year-old lad from Wycombe ending up in the same group as Dan Bethell and managed to share a court with him which was a lovely experience for everyone in the venue.
“We had a lot of youngsters across the classes, the future is bright. It is so important to have those youngsters coming through, it is the future of the sport.
“Without those guys playing on a weekly basis, where does the next Paralympian come from?
We are well underway at the UK Para-Badminton Championships in Sheffield! 🤩
A great level of competitiveness is on show today. 👀#ASportForEveryone pic.twitter.com/R5x0RmhiIB
— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) November 23, 2024
“It was an amazing weekend to be a part of, to see all these players who are playing on a weekly basis in able-bodied clubs where they live, with well-established coaches all turning up and getting better.
“The standard now is incredible. It is brilliant to see people’s development.”
Photos courtesy of CK Yew.