JBA president Val Wood, who also managed and selected the winning team, said: ‘It was an excellent result and everyone is thrilled.
It’s a big boost to the team members and they can be proud of their efforts because they put in a lot of hard work and effort beforehand as well as being positive in their matches on the day.’These youngsters will bring in a lot of strength for us and although it will be in a few years’ time the future for Jersey badminton is bright.’The format of the competition is the same as the seniors’ Gilson Cup – 30 doubles games made up by nine boys doubles and nine girls doubles and 12 mixed doubles.Teams were six boys and six girls with Jersey’s represented by: Chris Agathangelou (team captain), Colin Hardwidge, David Webb, Michael Stock, Andrew Le Moine and David Streets and Mariana Agathangelou, Kim Ashton, Elena Palasmith, Olivia Higgins, Emma Thornton and Emily Nicolle.
Reserves were Tom Gibbs and Vicky Pearce.Jersey’s first and second girls pairs, Agathangelou and Ashton and Higgins and Palasmith got off to a good start, winning all their matches in a clean sweep.
The third pairing of Thornton and 13-year-old Nicolle found the going tough, but despite losing their three matches they can be proud of their efforts and take the experience into future inter-insulars.The top boys pairing of Agathangelou and Hardwidge had a relatively easy ride and they were only slightly pushed by Guernsey’s top pairing of Andrew Orme and Richard Wood.Webb and Stock, Jersey’s second pairing, lost against Orme and Wood and they were pushed to three sets before defeating Guernsey’s third pairing of Simon Blondel and David Ferguson.Le Moine and Streets were unlucky not to win any of their matches despite have a close three-setter against Blondel and Ferguson and just missing out 12-15, 17-16, 13-15.Jersey were ahead 11-7 going into the mixed doubles and they had to keep focused and not to let their guard drop and allow Guernsey back into the match.In the mixed A and B sections the first pairs of the Agathangelous and Hardwidge and Ashton had no problems.
However, the second pairs in each section split their wins with the opposition.Streets and Thornton combined very well in the C section where they won two matches in exciting three-set contests.Despite valiant attempts Le Moine and Nicolle were unable to clinch at least one win for their day’s play but their attitude and commitment against strong opposition is to be commended.New caps were presented to David Streets, Emma Thornton and Emily Nicolle, by Val Wood, while the Martin Trophy was presented to 15-year-old Mariana Agathangelou for the most outstanding individual performance of the day.Agathangelou and Kim Ashton won all their matches over the weekend with Ashton missing out after a countback of points.
