6th April, 2025
The National Schools Championships proved another roaring success as young players from around the country descended on the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes.
Four winners were crowned from the 32 teams participating in the finals day, while over 7500 young people competed in the Championships nationwide.
It marks a threefold increase in the number of young people participating in the competition since the reintroduction of the event in 2023/24. The National Badminton Centre was awash with colour as schools took to court in their regional colours.
Players were introduced to the courts with their regional anthems. The soundtrack to the rest of the day was chosen by the players as schools were invited to contribute to the open playlist. Over 100 songs were selected by schools from Neil Diamond to Paramore to Erasure.
“We wanted the players to feel they owned the room, they created the atmosphere themselves with the songs that were selected,” reflected Louise Hewitt, Young People Manager at Badminton England.
The aim was to make the young people feel special yet to equally feel at home on the very same courts used to train our past and current Olympians.
One of the teachers commented that: “I’ve been a teacher for 25 years and it was the most professional event I’ve ever attended”.
A Year 7 from Watford Grammar School for Boys steps up to umpire
While the players took to court our Young Leader Academy provided the young officials throughout the weekend to take to the umpires chair. 15 young leaders from across the county volunteered their time to officiate.
While Mothering Sunday meant the event required additional umpiring from players, one Year 7 took up the mantle and presided over the KS4 matches.
Hewitt said: “The competition’s aim is to inspire excellence but equally important is the need for it to be inclusive. We want the environment to be accepting and the fact that the 15/16 year old boys can accept a Y7 scoring their game is important, it warms my heart!
“We’ve made it possible for those stories to happen because it’s a safe, kind, space where young people can feel comfortable making mistakes on an umpire’s chair.”
All of the the matches were live streamed for parents who could not attend with viewership reaching 2000 on the BE YouTube Channel. For the first time ever, not a single serve, smash or drop was missed, not even by friends and family at home.
In the girls’ KS3 competition Loughborough High School were crowned champions after defeating Nonsuch High School for Girls 4-1.
Pate’s Grammar School claimed third spot, while Kendrick School and Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls rounded off the top five.
Colchester County High School for Girls claimed the KS4 girls title with a narrow win, defeating Dame Alice Owen’s School 3-2.
The title came down to the wire as Natasha Adkins and Harleen Nanda held on to beat Aayushi Dhelaria and Anna Starling 21-19 in a decisive final doubles match.
Tapton School finished third while King Edward VI High School for Girls and Kendrick School rounded off the top five. Such impressive victories were witnessed by badminton royalty in the form of two-time Paralympic medallist Krysten Coombs and Badminton England President Derek Batchelor, who were on hand to present the medals.
The boys’ KS3 title was clinched by Reading School who defeated King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford 4-1 in the final. Watford Grammar School for Boys rounded off the podium spots with Pate’s Grammar School and Altrincham Grammar School for Boys also making the top five.
It was double success for Reading School as their boys KS4 team also clinched gold, defeating Parmiter’s School in a closely fought 3-2 win.
Jimmy Bilek and Nived Neelakandan claimed the decisive third win 21-16 in their doubles match.
Wilson’s School finished in the bronze medal position while King Edward VI Five Ways School and Pate’s Grammar School.
All players went home with a programme, a t-shirt and a medal and we all hope a greater love for badminton.
As the lights went out on the Championships for another year, Hewitt commented: “I am already looking forward to next year.”
