Triple Gold For Blazers Kilburn
Nottingham Blazers Owen Kilburn with his 3 gold medals
The Sugden Sports Centre in Manchester was to mark the English and final leg of the 4 Nations Disabled Badminton Championship series for 2009/10 season staged over the weekend of 18th-19th April 2010.
Nottingham Blazers Wheelchair Badminton Club took 3 players, Paula Robinson, Bernadette O’Driscoll and Owen Kilburn. With the spotlight on Hertfordshire’s Gobi Ranganathan Britain’s Men’s Wheelchair Class 3 No1, European and World No.3 taking part, it was Blazers 19 year old West Brigford student Owen Kilburn who stole the limelight by winning 3 Gold medals, the Men’s Singles Class 1 & 2, Combined Doubles and Mixed Doubles Combined.
In a closely fought men’s singles final between Denny Vettorn (England) which went to 3 games winning 17-21, 21-14, 21-19. Then teaming up with Gobi Ranganathan (England) in the men’s doubles final winning comfortably 21-11, 21-12 against fellow England pair Denny Vettorn and Philip Tew. The hat trick came with fellow Blazers player Paula Robinson (England) in the mixed doubles final between Denny Vettorn and Morag Johnson (Scotland) producing their best performances of the tournament and holding their nerve to win 17-21, 21-19, 21-17.
Nottingham Blazers Paula Robinson & Bernadette O'Driscoll
There was sweat revenge for Paula Robinson who had to settle for silver in the ladies singles final to Morag Johnson losing 20-22, 14-21.
Bernadette O’Driscoll couldn’t repeat her success in Scotland of 2 gold’s and had to settle for a silver in ladies doubles final with fellow Blazers team mate Paula Robinson against Morag Johnson and Laura-Lee Jenkins (Ireland) losing 16-21,11-21.
Blazers coach Oliver Ward said "our players continue to improve in every tournament"
