ANOTHER year has now been and gone for Kingsteignton Shuttles Junior Badminton Club, the customary end-of-season tournaments rounding out proceedings.

There were 21 players vying for supremacy in Group Two and this year, the club decided that the player who won their respective group was given the opportunity to choose their opponent in the quarter finals.

The biggest surprise came when Alex Hodgson selected his best friend and reigning champion Oscar Brown. Undeterred by the challenge, Alex delivered a dominant performance, winning 15–5 and significantly easing his path to the final.

Noah Wheeler chose Florence Hunter, hoping that his seven-point handicap advantage would be decisive, but it backfired and he was defeated 15-12.

In the other quarters, Cameron Davies beat Lauren Peat and Nora Deckwirth saw off Luca Garmen.

Alex and Florence then advanced to the final, overcoming Nora and Cameron respectively.

The final between Alex and Florence was a good spectacle for junior badminton and good ability was shown throughout.

Alex’s decision to knock out Oscar proved decisive as he powered to a comprehensive 15-3 victory over Florence and won his first tournament.

Group One was reduced to just four competitors after three players withdrew at short notice due to exam commitments.

Matters were further complicated on finals night when two of the remaining players failed to appear, leaving the group title to be decided by a straight head‑to‑head contest.

This unexpected situation set up a winner‑takes‑all final between Robin Wood and Theo Kelly, neither of whom had previously won the tournament. For Theo, it marked a second consecutive appearance in a final, raising the question of whether that experience would prove decisive.

Due to the handicapping system, Robin began the match by conceding a three‑point head start, a disadvantage that appeared to unsettle him early on.

It was Theo who prevailed thanks to composure and consistency, beating Robin 15-6.

The sportsmanship award this year was presented to Holly Brown.

Although Holly didn’t progress to the finals, coaches and helpers chose her for her positive attitude and the way she always tried her best throughout the tournament. Awards like the one Holly received are just as important as the main trophies - they capture what the club is all about.

Kingsteignton Shuttles Junior Badminton Club would like to thank all the coaches, committee members and helpers who give their time voluntarily: Dave Hambly, Andy Peat, Chloe Hambly, George English, Les Owen, Kelly Brown, Robin Wood and Ellie Peat.

They are the ones who make the tournament happen and, more importantly, have made the Club so successful over the past fifteen years.

The club would also like to extend a special thank you to Kingsteignton Town Council for awarding a grant earlier this year. The funding was used to provide new rackets and shuttles for all members, all of which were in action during the tournament.

Head coach Dave Hambly said: “The support from the Town Council has made a real difference.

“It means every junior player can play with quality equipment and you could see the impact it had in the standard of matches”

If you know someone who is interested in playing junior badminton, ages 8-18, then please get in contact with club secretary, Chloe Hambly at [email protected].

Teign School, Kingsteignton is the location on Wednesday evenings and the club allows the first lesson to be FREE as a taster session.