September was a remarkable month for Badminton England’s junior players, marked by a series of gold medals across the continent.
Martha Ng and Shraddha Gopalakrishnan shone at the Under-15 European Championships, clinching gold in the women’s doubles. They also secured a bronze medal in Poland.
In Under-17 tournaments, victories were celebrated in Slovenia, Croatia, and Slovakia. Meanwhile, back in England, collaboration days were successfully held in Sevenoaks and Reading.
Victor U19 Irish Open 2024 – 30 August-1 September
Lucy Brierley secured two silver medals at the Victor U19 Irish Open in Dublin, competing in both the women’s and mixed doubles events.
Related News
In the mixed doubles final, Brierley and her partner Benjamin Horseman faced a tough match against Scottish rivals Lewis Coghill and Brooke Stalker, ultimately losing 21-15, 24-22.
Shortly after, Brierley teamed up with Matilda Franklin for the women’s doubles, but they fell to Ishbel McCallister and Stalker, with a score of 21-16, 21-18.
TEM Slovenia Mirna U17 International 2024 – 30 August-1 September
England swept the competition in Mirna, Slovenia, securing all five gold medals, with Mili Patel and Jaxon Clarke each topping the podium three times.
The duo triumphed in the mixed doubles final, defeating their fellow countrymen Samuel Deepak Pulikkottil and Anna Stewart, capping off a remarkable championship for the English players.
The day started with Clarke’s victory over Zeno Agai in the men’s singles, followed by Patel’s impressive win against top seed Ana Pranic of Croatia in the women’s singles. Clarke and Pulikkottil claimed the men’s doubles title, while Patel and Stewart took home the women’s doubles gold before facing off in the mixed doubles final.
2024 European U15 Championships – 11-14 September
Sixth seeds Martha Ng and Shraddha Gopalakrishnan clinched gold in the girls’ doubles at the U15 European Championships, defeating Denmark’s Alva Jacobsen and Simone Aoki Pihl with scores of 22-20, 21-14.
The pair had to come from behind in their opening match of the tournament in Suwalki, Poland, showcasing their resilience throughout the competition.
In addition, sixth seed Yixiang Hou earned a bronze medal in the men’s singles. He lost only one game on his way to the semi-finals, where he faced eventual champion Lenny Hubert of France.
A total of eight players represented their country in Poland, gaining invaluable international experience.
Li-Ning Zagreb U17 Open 2024 – 20-22 September
Samuel Deepak Pulikkottil achieved a remarkable double victory in Zagreb, Croatia, capturing gold in both the men’s and mixed doubles events.
Teaming up with Jaxon Clarke, he claimed the men’s doubles title at the Li-Ning Zagreb U17 Open, defeating the top-seeded Hungarian duo of Zeno Agal and Balazs Peto with scores of 21-15, 21-17 in the final.
Earlier, Pulikkottil had triumphed in a thrilling mixed doubles final alongside Anna Stewart. They took an early lead against Clarke and Mili Patel but were pushed to a deciding game after Clarke and Patel leveled the match. Pulikkottil and Stewart ultimately emerged victorious with a scoreline of 22-20, 12-21, 21-14.
Patel and Clarke also made it to another semi-final, with Patel partnering Anna Stewart in the women’s doubles, but they fell short against the top seeds and home favorites Ana Pranic and Sara Sulc in a deciding game.
Clarke also competed in the singles event, where he lost his semi-final match despite initially leading against Turkey’s Erdal Mert Demirhan, finishing with a score of 10-21, 21-13, 21-17.
Slovak Youth U17 2024 – 27-29 September
Anish Nair secured the men’s singles gold at the Slovak Youth U17 Championships in Trencin, finishing the tournament without dropping a single game. As the sixth seed, Nair triumphed over Jan Paulik of Czechia in the final with a decisive score of 21-5, 21-12, after earlier defeating second seed Petr Briza, also from Czechia, in the quarter-finals.
In men’s doubles, Hubert Ceglinski and Julian Kitchen reached the round of 16 but were eliminated by Czechia’s Marek Kassa and Jakub Klokan, with a score of 21-7, 21-16.
