London Youth Games 2012
It wasn't to be third time lucky for the Havering badminton team!! For the third year running the team had to settle for the silver medal at the finals of the London Youth Games Badminton held at Crystal Palace on Saturday 30th June.
Having qualified for the finals in previous years Havering found themselves in a group with Haringey, Merton and Bromley, meaning all 4 top teams from the 2011 competition were in the same group! Havering met Haringey in the first match and won 4-1. Boys singles 12-21, girls singles 21-8, boys doubles 21-14, girls doubles 21-5, mixed doubles 21-7. They then played Merton in a very tough and close game running out winners 3-2. Boys singles 21-15, girls singles 7-21, boys doubles 9-21, girls doubles 21-16, mixed doubles 21-0. Havering then played Bromley in their final group game winning 4-1 which meant they had toppped the group. Boys singles 21-18, girsl singles 21-12, boys doubles 18-21, girls doubles 21-12, mixed doubles 21-8.
This meant that Havering then played Croydon; the runner-up in the other group. Again another close game Havering ran out winners 3-2 boys singles 21-20, girls singles 21-10, boys doubles 21-20, girls doubles 21-4, mixed doubles 21-20. Winning the semi final against Croydon set up a final against local rivals Redbridge who fielded a very strong team. The first game in the final was the boys singles which was played by Felix Ngooi. Redbridge started strongly and went 20-14 up before Ngooi played some outstanding and determined badminton to pull back to 19-20 before going down 21-19, the girls singles was another really close affair being played by Coco Zhang and there was never more than a point either way until right at the end evenutally going to setting which also went the way of the Redbridge team 22-20. The Havering boys doubles pairing of Adam Tripp and Oli Bowry were always going to struggle agains the county pairing from Redbridge and although putting up a spirited fight lost 21-10. This gave Redbridge the three games that they needed before Havering then took the last two games in a convincing manner. In the girls doubles Bethany Law and Abbie Wallis who played outstandingly all day won 21-10 and the mixed pair of Katie Nicholls and Sam Hampton beat another strong pair 21-12 in a very convincing performance. This gave Redbridge a 3-2 victory and meant Havering for the third year in a row had to settle for the silver medal.
The team consisted of Coco Zhang, Bethany Law, Katie Nicholls, Abbie Wallis, Paige Beaumont, Sam Hampton, Felix Ngooi, Oli Bowry, Adam Tripp and Robert Clark.
The team did really well and although they were disappointed with losing in the final they should all be really proud of themselves. It was a good team performance, everyone played in the various games in the final and all did their part. Taking the silver medal is a fantastic achievement. The final was really close and to lose the two singles games so closely gave everyone the sniff of victory. If one of those games had gone the other way the match score would have been reversed and it would have been Havering's year. But it was not meant to be and a well earned silver medal was Havering's prize. We now lose our older members of Sam Hampton and Robert Clark so this means Havering will regroup and start planning for the 2013 competition and lets hope that maybe it could be fourth time lucky!!
Having qualified for the finals in previous years Havering found themselves in a group with Haringey, Merton and Bromley, meaning all 4 top teams from the 2011 competition were in the same group! Havering met Haringey in the first match and won 4-1. Boys singles 12-21, girls singles 21-8, boys doubles 21-14, girls doubles 21-5, mixed doubles 21-7. They then played Merton in a very tough and close game running out winners 3-2. Boys singles 21-15, girls singles 7-21, boys doubles 9-21, girls doubles 21-16, mixed doubles 21-0. Havering then played Bromley in their final group game winning 4-1 which meant they had toppped the group. Boys singles 21-18, girsl singles 21-12, boys doubles 18-21, girls doubles 21-12, mixed doubles 21-8.
This meant that Havering then played Croydon; the runner-up in the other group. Again another close game Havering ran out winners 3-2 boys singles 21-20, girls singles 21-10, boys doubles 21-20, girls doubles 21-4, mixed doubles 21-20. Winning the semi final against Croydon set up a final against local rivals Redbridge who fielded a very strong team. The first game in the final was the boys singles which was played by Felix Ngooi. Redbridge started strongly and went 20-14 up before Ngooi played some outstanding and determined badminton to pull back to 19-20 before going down 21-19, the girls singles was another really close affair being played by Coco Zhang and there was never more than a point either way until right at the end evenutally going to setting which also went the way of the Redbridge team 22-20. The Havering boys doubles pairing of Adam Tripp and Oli Bowry were always going to struggle agains the county pairing from Redbridge and although putting up a spirited fight lost 21-10. This gave Redbridge the three games that they needed before Havering then took the last two games in a convincing manner. In the girls doubles Bethany Law and Abbie Wallis who played outstandingly all day won 21-10 and the mixed pair of Katie Nicholls and Sam Hampton beat another strong pair 21-12 in a very convincing performance. This gave Redbridge a 3-2 victory and meant Havering for the third year in a row had to settle for the silver medal.
The team consisted of Coco Zhang, Bethany Law, Katie Nicholls, Abbie Wallis, Paige Beaumont, Sam Hampton, Felix Ngooi, Oli Bowry, Adam Tripp and Robert Clark.
The team did really well and although they were disappointed with losing in the final they should all be really proud of themselves. It was a good team performance, everyone played in the various games in the final and all did their part. Taking the silver medal is a fantastic achievement. The final was really close and to lose the two singles games so closely gave everyone the sniff of victory. If one of those games had gone the other way the match score would have been reversed and it would have been Havering's year. But it was not meant to be and a well earned silver medal was Havering's prize. We now lose our older members of Sam Hampton and Robert Clark so this means Havering will regroup and start planning for the 2013 competition and lets hope that maybe it could be fourth time lucky!!
Labels: News
posted by Simon
12:55
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