South West Shuttlefest Report 2018

by swlbl

All roads led to the 2018 South West Shuttlefest on 15th & 16th September 2018. Held in Co. Kildare in a village called Kilcullen, players came from all over the island of Ireland from Donegal, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Dublin to name a few. The schedule for the weekend was full, with events in Men’s, Ladies and Mixed across 6 grades, it was showcase like no other. Preparation for the event began on Friday evening with an army of volunteers. Thanks to the continued support of Yonex Ireland, we changed a country community hall into a Yonex Badminton Arena. With all competitors pre-entered and a total of 170 players we knew we would make the feathers fly.

With a large of number players due to descend in Co. Kildare on Saturday for Grades 4, 5 & 6 – we were ready to go. We began Saturday morning with Ladies from Grade 4 – 6. With many entries in mixed, we knew we would have to organise games like clockwork. The Mixed event in particular proved to be very competitive and we finished the evening off with the Grade 4 Men’s Doubles final the last game on court.

Moving on to Sunday 16th, we had Grades 1, 2 & 3. Unfortunately, this year the limited number of entries in Grade 3 Ladies meant this event didn’t run. However, the Grade 1 and 2 Ladies performed a spectacle of badminton. The Ladies were quickly followed by the mixed with an outstanding number of partnerships in the event there was a tremendous display of badminton it was sure to get your competitive juices flowing. Finishing the evening off with the Men’s and another fantastic display of skill and strength.

It is true what they say, “talk with your racket, play with your heart” and it was clearly portrayed throughout the weekend of the South West Shuttlefest.

The South West Leinster Badminton Committee would like to thank all the clubs, players, volunteers and the Yonex team for making this the most enjoyable two-day tournament in the South West Leinster Badminton Calendar for yet another year. We look forward to seeing you all in 2019.

Chelsey Cox McDonald

Shuttlefest Organiser

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