u19 nationals

[justme]

nebody got any predictions for the winners

[Foster]

lets hope everyone can get there first!as it is in local EXETER!! just a 10 hour journey for me, cant wait.perfect preperation for a major tournament.haha.good one.i think this is a major reason for the small entry of around 10 pairs in the doubles and 16 players in the singles.

[BadmintonsBest]

best of luck Ed...

[Liam]

Does anyone know the draw?

[Liam]

[mrmagoo]

the baofe does,but even though they state it will be on the website from 10am today its still not on it?!!

[mrmagoo]

it really is the most pathetic sized draw!
perhaps the baofe will rename it as an "elite" tournament next year in hope of gaining some more entries? maybe hold it in cornwall so parents can fork out even more money!

or maybe they won't bother entering like this year?!

[gurner]

where is the draw?

[Luncheon]

On the first page is an article about it, the link is at the bottom of that page.

[Jean]

Well this ended up a shambles.
Harry Wright pulled out of singles and doubles final - injured. Caroline Westley played the entire weekend with a knee injury, she did well to make it to two finals. Apparently Harry, Caroline, Elinor and Jenny are all not playing in the Dutch Under 19 because of their injuries. Whats happening to them all, are they training too much?
Lets hope they are all well for the Six Nations, high hopes for gold there. Perhaps we should play the nationals again in a month or two when everyone has recovered from their injuries. I think you might find there will be different results.

[johngurling]

Nice to see people moaning about the location of the event.....perhaps they will make an effort to get their local council to put in a bid to hold it next year.

Personally I think the worse thing about the event was the attitude of certain players.....perhaps more yellow cards or even a red card might make a difference, although i would suggest more serious actions, perhaps banning them from events unless their behaviour improves.

We all get frustrated at our own poor performances, but some of the displays of 'petulance' were appalling

[jillie]

well said! so who do u think that the offenders are?

[Daveybwoy69]

Ello Edward hows it going mate aint seen ya since Ict last year to long mate

[Jean]

I know who he is talking about. It was the mens doubles semi final. I have heard lots of bad reports about certain players behaviour. This should be addressed immediately with one player in particular.
Who decided to have the nationals at that venue, what a silly place to hold it. Most of the competitors must have had at least 4 hours journey. Not to mention the ones in Yorkshire and Lancs. Whats wrong with Milton Keynes, very central. I think Exeter must have paid the baofe a lot of money for them to decide on that venue!

[poharssister]

just wondering about players in question.i havent heard any news about the tournament except that a younger pair may have been robbed of a national title by a very dodgy line call at match point!i know there are always bad line calls but surely the umpire should have a had more balls than to just except the call of the player (as dodgy as it was).better look next time boys-ive heard these surrey lads can dish out some shockin decisions!

[Jean]

Lets just say that you have mentioned the county in question. His partner was not much better either(the dodgy line call) so I hear. I would not have thought there was much celebrating going on. People winning titles that they would not have won if everyone of the Under 19 players had been present and were free of injuries. Never mind eh.

[georgelarge]

I was there watching. However controversial the call may or may not have been it was very entertaining, though it is easier for me to say as I was not personally involved in that semi final. My thoughts are that it may do badminton good to have 'interesting' players - we have a John McEnroe in the making - which can only make the game more entertaining to an audience. I think that most people there did smile at some of the comments, even, do I dare to suggest, the umpire?!

I am not saying that its correct to behaviour in this manner but it adds a cetain excitement to the game. Umpires tried to control John McEnroe to no effect, we all loved to hate him but he pulled in the crowds and a talented player as well, (he seems a jolly nice bloke now doesn't he?) which is the same of these players. We all make mistakes and perhaps that under enormous pressure at such a crucial point we are entitled to make a mistake.

This was the first, if I remember rightly, of six match points in total to the younger pair, this is how close the game was.

Teresa

[georgelarge]

To Jean ette - I think that all the top Under 19/Under 17 men were there. Teresa

[baddersfan]

[Debbie]

I was there too. I agree with Teresa that there was some very exciting play, especially the semi final between Chris and Robin and Rob and Ed. Rob and Ed played really well and Chris and Robin had to muster up all their experience and determination to win. The call that everyone is talking about was a service line call, and as I remember it, it wasn't a Surrey lad that made the call Kristian!
Unfortunately, there were a few U19 players that couldn't participate in the tournament and more disappointingly a few more that couldn't perform due to sustained injuries. The final of the men's singles was over prematurely and the men's doubles finals was not played as Harry sensibly withdrew. I sure eveybody wishes these players a speedy recovery.
The venue, although far away and very cold... was good. Three good courts, balconys on two sides but as sometimes happens, cafeteria closed several hours before the end of play on Saturday evening! The Pizza place across the road was well used.

[Jean]

Thank you for that Debbie and Teresa. A very speedy recovery to Harry, Caroline, Elinor and Jenny. Get fit and well for the 6 nations. When is that exactly? I have heard that you have all pulled out of the Sussex Elite and Dutch Junior. If one of you are reading this, is it true?

[poharssister]

calm down,calm down mrs honey.didnt mean to offend your county i was just winding chris up as i knew he would read my comments.i knew it was robin who made the call but at the end of the day it was neither of theirs to make as the umpire should take that line (and as i understand he did back up robins call so the other two lads can have no complaints really-sportsmanship cant really be asked for when its match point for the nationals final,can it?).

but chris,thats no reason to carry on makin calls like that in trainin though mate, hahaha-scouse'l get ya and you know it!!!!

[stu]

I think the nationals was really disappointing. I was looking forward to a good few finals. Mens singles between Raj and Harry Wright, ladies singles between Elinor Cox and Caroline Westley, mends doubles between Chris and Robin and Harry and Matt Honey, ladies doubles between Caroline and Sarah Bok and Jenny Day and Rachel Howard and mixed between Chris and Caroline and Robin and Sarah Bok.
I dont understand how someone like Rachel Howard can be pleased or satisfied with winnning 2 golds when she probably wouldnt have won any if everyone was there and she definately wouldnt have won if Caroline wasnt injured. I think it took some guts for Caroline to continue, because if she would have pulled out as well on the Sunday there would have been nothing to watch. You could see that she kinda threw the singles and mixed to give the doubles a go and they came close.Shame she couldnt get the 3 golds. I think it was probably quite a work out for her partners that weekend.
I think that the whole attitudes subject is true in both aspects. It was quite embaressing in a way but it did add some entertainment to the day, as most of the finals were an anticlimax.
I have heard that Harry, Caroline, Jenny and Elinor have all pulled out of Dutch which is a shame. Lets hope they are better for 6 nations because this age group is the strongest in a long time and have a very good chance.

[dlp]

I don't think anyone should discredit the achievements of the winners, injuries or no injuries. Managing, recovering from and avoiding injuries are part of elite sport and always play a part. It is surprising perhaps that many players were in all three disciplines, with all the extra rounds and training that needs.

Many senior nationals , and even world titles are decided partly by injuries, at the end of the day in a few years the record books will only show who the winners were , not who played while injured or withdrew.

[gurner]

I agree with Mr. Peterson, to win a national title at what ever age must never be discredited, Rachel must have played very well for those two national titles and she deserves to be able to celebrate because which ever way you look at it, at the end of the day she is now a double national champion. Well done to everyone who won at the weekend and a speedy recovery to all those who are injured.