England’s parabadminton community are on the countdown to the biggest event in their domestic calendar. Aylesbury's Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of Paralympic sport, is getting ready to host the 4 Nations Parabadminton Series 2011 English Championships on the 13th-15th May. The 4 Nations Series are the flagship parabadminton events in Britain and Ireland, attracting a range of competitors, from new disabled players looking to take on their first competitive action, to World Number 1’s looking to establish their domestic dominance before the World Championships in Guatemala later this year!

The Championships welcome players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to compete in the following classification categories:

·         Wheelchair badminton

·         Standing disabled badminton (for physically disabled players who stand to play)

·         Dwarf badminton

·         Learning disabled badminton

Denny Vettom, a member of Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s very own Phoenix Badminton Club, is one of the favourites for the gold medal in the Men’s W2 Wheelchair classification said:
“Stoke Mandeville is world famous as the birthplace of disability sport and home to the Paralympics. The 4 Nations 2011 English Championships is the first parabadminton event of its kind to be held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and it will be a great opportunity to raise the profile of the sport and take it to a wider audience. I can’t wait to go for gold on my home court.”

Ian Seabrook, Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s Business Development Manager is looking forward to the event and added:
“We are thrilled to be involved in such a fantastic sporting event and can’t wait to start welcoming players from across the British Isles and Ireland. Parabadminton is a great way to enjoy sport and stay active and we hope that the Championships will encourage more disabled people to give it a go.”

Tom Webster, Disability Manager for BADMINTON England commented:
“I’m confident that we can make the 4 Nations 2011 English Championships the biggest and best yet. With the Paralympics in London on the horizon, Stoke Mandeville Stadium is the ideal place to take our sport and the 4 Nations Parabadminton Series to the next level. The quality of badminton and athleticism on show from some of the world’s finest parabadminton players will be fantastic.”

Entry for spectators is free, so make sure you take the opportunity to go to see badminton like you’ve never seen before.