GLTC Badminton’s Grade E team claimed the Inter-Club League All-Ireland title in a hard fought three-way final fixture between GLTC Badminton (Galway Lawn Tennis Club), Baltinglass of Wicklow and Kilmacthomas of Waterford.
Going in to the first fixture on Sunday morning with a long but successful season behind them, having won every match in their league group and then conquering both the Galway and Connacht Finals with ease, GLTC Badminton’s Grade E team were prepared for a tough battle in the opening match against Baltinglass BC.
Starting the day with the Men’s and Women’s Singles, GLTC pulled ahead, winning both the opening games for a 2-0 lead. Needing only two more of the five remaining games, and despite Baltinglass putting up a strong fight, the GLTC women proved too strong and brought the score to 3-1, after a tough loss in the Men’s Doubles.
This gave GLTC an advantage on entering the Mixed Doubles where their third pair, Caroline Kennedy and Shane Farrelly took the winning fourth game. With an additional win in the Mixed Doubles by Cornelius Dhivakar and Suzanne McDermott, GLTC completed the first tie with a score of 5-2.
In the second round it was the strength of GLTC’s Singles and Doubles players who gave no opportunity to Kilmacthomas to advance. Women’s Singles playerand team Captain Emma Murphy won her game with a few tough points, thenwent on to win a consecutive Women’s Doubles, making it a clean sweep in all of Emma’s games this year. On the men’s side, Singles player Tom Doherty also won his battles in both Singles and the Doubles with partner Derek Small, cinching the overall victory for GLTC in the first four games, an uncommon feat. After two very tight Mixed Doubles games, with Derek Small and Jennifer Hegarty narrowly losing to the strong Kilmacthomas duo, GLTC won the All-Ireland title with another score of 5-2!
Congratulations to all involved in GLTC Badminton, this is a proud moment for badminton in the West of Ireland.
Team Members included: Emma Murphy (Captain), Caroline Kennedy, Suzanne McDermott, Jennifer Hegarty, Derek Small, Tom Doherty, Cornelius Dhivakar & Shane Farrelly.
For more information on how to take up badminton, even just for fun, please get in touch with GLTC Badminton on any of their social media pages, by email via [email protected] or on their website www.GLTC.ie/badminton.
