Will any Brits grab the win this year?
By Katie Garner
What better way to get pumped up before a game, or make you want to snatch up your racket, then by watching the pros battling it out at the Yonex All England Badminton Championships, played annually at the National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham?
This year’s tournament runs from the 6th to the 11th March so it’s only just kicked off. Keep checking your sports channels so that you can catch some of the amazing current players strutting their stuff – such as two time winner and Malaysian superstar Lee Chong Wei or his Chinese counterpart Lin Dan.
The last time any Brits had a roaring success was back in 2005 with the adored Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms (personally a great inspiration for me) with their mixed doubles victory. It would be fantastic if Robertson could recreate this win this year with current partner Jenny Wallwork.
The All England Championships were first played in 1898 in Guilford, with the Mens Doubles, Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles. The Mens and Womens Singles were only added to the competition in 1990. The All England is seen as the world’s oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament so a win at Birmingham is a major coup to have on your sporting CV.
Find out more about this year’s draw and competition at: http://www.allenglandbadminton.com/index.htm
