06 May, 2025 Andy Rowe
The curtain has come down on a successful season, with the Handicapped Tournament being the final event of the season.
The Tournament began with the Open Singles, contested by 12 players split into 2 groups and played on a round robin basis. The Exeter players, Toby Brookes (-9) and Jamie Dawe (-7) both were unbeaten in their respective groups to make the final. Toby came out on top in the final winning a hard fought game 21-18.
18 pairs entered the Open Doubles, split 12 pairs in Section A and 6 pairs in Section B, again played on a round robin basis.
In section A, the Ringswell pair of Nigel Osborne and Miles McBain (-2) came through their group unbeaten to make the final. The Culm Valley pair of Noah Panton and Murray McCombe (+5) needed a minimum of 19 points in their final group game to progress to the final, having won all their games up to that stage. They scored 20 points but lost their unbeaten record to the Exeter pair of Matt Whyman and Andy Rowe.
The Final produced some really quality badminton with experience prevailing over youth as Nigel and Miles triumphed 21-16.
Section B was won by Matt Older and Adrian Bourner of Chulmleigh (-4), 2 points ahead of Culm Valley pair of Sam Wood and M Rothery (+6)
6 pairs contested the Ladies Doubles, played on a round robin basis. The Exeter youngsters Zinnia Bromwell-James and Isabelle Bradley (Scr) were in fine form and bagged a maximum 105 points from their games, 3 points ahead of the Ringswell pair of Sylvia Child and Anne Jones (+8)
In the Mixed Doubles, 12 pairs played round robin in 2 groups of 6 with the winners of each group progressing to the Final.
Ringswell's Sylvia Child and Jack Langlois (-8) were comfortable unbeaten winners in their group, whereas it was much tighter in the other group. Exeter's Kate Povey and Ben Jordan (-12) pipped the eventual group runners up Nigel Osborne(Ringswell) and Mandy Bishop (Queens) (-10) 21-20 in their head to head game to win the group by a single point.
Kate Povey and Ben Jordan then went on to beat Sylvia Child and Jack Langlois 21-17 in the Final
Results
Open Singles winner...... Toby Brookes (-9)
Open Doubles Winner Section A ...... Nigel Osborne/Miles McBain (-2)
Open Doubles Winner Section B......Matt Older/Adrian Bourner (-4)
Ladies Doubles Winner.....Zinnia Bromwell-James/Isabelle Bradley (Scr)
Mixed Doubles Winner......Kate Povey/Ben Jordan ( -12)