Badminton: IoM makes strong start at county championships

Two squads were in action on tournament opening weekend

The Isle of Man badminton squad recently enjoyed a strong start on the opening weekend of the Badminton England County Championships.

Two teams representing the Island took part in the opening round of fixtures.

IOM 1 produced an impressive 6-5 victory against a tough opponent in Cheshire 2 in their first match.

Then followed a dominant display against Yorkshire 5 in which the Island side secured a 9-2 win.

Meanwhile, IOM 2 came up against tough opposition in their first clash against Norfolk 2.

It was the Norfolk side who emerged as 3-8 winners but there were notable performances from the Isle of Man side including Annelise Mellor and Ryan Courtie.

Despite that loss, IOM 2 then bounced back in a tight second tie against Lincolnshire 2, with the Manx team eventually emerging as 6-5 winners.

The next round of the county championships will take place on the weekend of 21-21 January, 2023.