Lydia strikes gold in Cheltenham

Up-and-coming badminton star Lydia Powell clinched the singles title at the Badminton England Under-17 Gold Tournament in Cheltenham at the weekend.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Feb 2013, 09:27 BST

The 16-year-old from Hastings won the high quality event with impressive displays in every round, as well as finishing runner-up in the mixed doubles.

Powell, seeded fourth, came through her singles group without dropping a set to either Melissa Stride or Kirby Ngan, before a tough 9-21, 21-17, 21-16 quarter-final victory over Kent-based Paige Butler.

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In the last four, Powell beat Ira Banerjee in two, setting up a final against Tsui-Yee Bethany Lau. Lau hadn’t dropped a set before the final, but Powell prevailed 15-21, 21-12, 21-12 to claim the title.

“It’s an amazing result,” Powell said. “It’s the last tournament before nationals so it shows that I’m sharp and focused.”

Powell’s doubles partner Jess Hopton had to pull out through illness, though she put up a great showing in the mixed alongside Angus Perdersen.

The duo lost in the final to Ben Lane and Brodie Miller having knocked out the top seeds in the quarter-finals.

Powell is now set to travel to Denmark for a training camp before heading to Holland to represent England for the first time.

Related topics:HastingsKent