Badminton: Loughborough stars confirmed for international match on campus
Badminton - 6/October/2009
Loughborough graduate Donna Kellogg is in action for Team England next weekend when a strong national side takes on Japan in the first ever international badminton match hosted by the University.
The country’s top players, including Singapore Open men’s doubles winners Anthony Clark and Nathan Robertson, have been confirmed for the five-game extravaganza which is supported by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and is taking place at the University’s Sir David Wallace Sports Hall on Saturday 17 October from 5.45pm.
Kellogg teams up with local lad Clark – a regular at the Loughborough BADMINTON England High Performance Centre - in the mixed doubles and will join Jenny Wallwork for the women’s event.
Clark and Kellogg are the reigning European and English National champions and 2006 world runners-up. Kellogg is also the 2000 and 2006 European women's doubles champion and seven-times National champion.
Robertson and former partner Gail Emms, now BADMINTON England’s ambassador, won the Olympic mixed doubles silver medal in Athens 2004, as well as lifting the 2006 world and Commonwealth gold medals, the 2004 European title and four English National titles together.
World No. 28 men’s singles player Andrew Smith will play both matches while three-time English National champion Elizabeth Cann is likely to play both women’s singles.
It will be the first time Loughborough has staged an international badminton match and it is also the first opportunity to see Japanese athletes in action since the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to use Loughborough University as its European base until the 2012 Olympic Games.
Loughborough University director of sport Chris Earle is looking forward to seeing top class badminton on his doorstep.
“The University and emda are delighted to be able to bring world class badminton to the East Midlands,” he said. “With Donna and Anthony both coming from the region, and both having strong links to Loughborough, it’s a real showcase of how the East Midlands has contributed to the sport on a national scale.
“We hope people from across the region will get behind this match and turn out to support the teams.”
Japan last toured England in November 2000 when the hosts won a six-match series 5-1. The previous Japan visit was in 1998 when England won 3-2 at both Bath and Boston.
The matches will be played under the five-match Sudirman Cup format of men’s and women’s singles and doubles and one mixed.
Tickets for this exciting evening of badminton are on sale now from www.theticketfactory.com and in person from the Loughborough University Sports Reception. Tickets cost £12 for adults, £10 for BADMINTON England members and £6 for concessions (under 16s, OAPs and students).