Badminton fans were treated to a fantastic day of action in the Presentation School Hall, Killarney, on Sunday, 24th November 2024, as the Paddy Drummond Cup, Waterstone Cup, and the Division 4 and 5 Mixed Shields were fiercely contested. With 67 players travelling from all corners of Kerry, the hall was alive with skill, determination, and plenty of banter.
Paddy Drummond Cup
The Paddy Drummond Cup proved to be a cracking competition, with some fierce rallies and close matches. In the end, Adele O’Brien (Killarney) and Tom Bourke (Kingdom) came out on top, combining beautifully to take the title. Ruth Concannon (Kingdom) and Ushas Raju (Tralee) were gallant runners-up, putting in a huge effort right to the final shuttle.
Waterstone Cup
The Waterstone Cup saw another high-quality final. Jennifer Estella (Tralee) and Christopher McCarthy (Moyvane) worked brilliantly as a team to lift the cup, seeing off a strong challenge from Carmel Hudson (Moyvane) and Florence Griffin (Tralee), who gave it everything on the day.
Division 4 Mixed Shield
The Division 4 Mixed Shield saw a thrilling battle, with Laura O’Connor (Tralee) and Biprojit Ghosh (Killarney) combining skill and grit to take the honours. Áine Knightly (Annascaul) and Matteo Rio (Tralee) were worthy runners-up and showed great promise for the future.
Division 5 Mixed Shield
The Division 5 Mixed Shield was no less competitive. Leah Kelly (Killarney) and Chen Yu Wei (Tralee) took home the shield after a determined performance. Anli Liu (Killarney) and Przemyslaw Choromanski (Moyvane) played their hearts out to claim the runners-up spot.
Plate Competitions
The plate competitions ensured everyone had a chance to shine, and the finals didn’t disappoint:
Division 3 Mixed Plate: Josie Gilbert (Ballyheigue) and Antonii Paiuk (Tralee) emerged winners after a great contest with Suzanne Sheehy (Tralee) and Alvin Rahman (Killarney).
Division 4 Mixed Plate: Charlotte Quinn (Moyvane) and Hasib Ahmmed (Killarney) were crowned winners, with Stacey McCoy (Ballyheigue) and Niall O’Hanlon (Moyvane) taking the runners-up position.
Division 5 Mixed Plate: Norma Guerin (Kingdom) and Oisín Ryall (Tralee) played brilliantly to secure the win, with Marie Myers (Kingdom) and Mike Morrissey (Kingdom) close behind as runners-up.
Division 4 Men’s Plate
In the Division 4 Men’s Plate, Shariq Khan (Killarney) and Brendan Galvin (Moyvane) came out on top after a fierce battle with Keith Leniston (Killarney) and Dwaine Mullins (Tralee).
A Proud Day for Kerry Badminton
It was a day full of hard-fought matches, camaraderie, and great fun. The Kerry Badminton Association would like to thank all the players, supporters, and volunteers who made the event such a success. Special thanks go to the Presentation School Hall for hosting us and to everyone who helped behind the scenes.
The standard of play on display shows how vibrant badminton is in Kerry, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for our talented players. Well done to all!