BADMINTON
LET THE GAMES BEGIN;
After many weeks of training and preparation the Kerry Badminton season will begin this coming weekend with a double programme which includes the Munster Butterfield Cup competition to be played in Cork and the Kerry Knockout Cup competitions which will be staged in Killarney.
The Kerry senior team will make the journey to Bishopstown on Sunday next to compete in the 71st staging of the Butterfield Cup competition with the opposition to be provided by the home County Cork, who are defending champions, along with Tipperary and Waterford
This competition was played in Thurles last year and there is no doubt what so ever that Kerry let the Butterfield Cup slip through their fingers .
The final game of the competition saw the Kingdom and the Rebels level on points and it was to be winner take all. With the scoreline at 4-2 in Kerry’s favour it looked to be all over and this famed cup would be Kerry bound once again but it was not to be as a fighting Cork side threw caution to the wind and they won all three mixed doubles encounters to pip the Kingdom 5-4 and by the one point 16-15 on the day.
With a home venue this year the Rebels will be fancying their chances once again but this Kerry squad have really trained hard in recent weeks and hopefully their efforts will be rewarded on Sunday next.
It is 3 years since Kerry last won this prestigious trophy and hopefully November 2017 will see it crossing the Kerry border once again.
In compiling these notes the final selection of the 5 ladies and 5 men to compete on Sunday has not been released but they would have been selected on Monday night last from the following panel of players; Edel Broderick, Marion Rohan, Niamh Flaherty, Saorcha Fitzgerald, Elaine Hudson, Sinead Galvin, Maeve Twomey, Tom Bourke, Eric Nelligan, Fergal Hannon, Jonathan Keane, James Leane, Mike Crossan, James Flaherty, Gio Gaudino. Best wishes to all concerned.
The annual Knockout Cup competitions on Sunday will commence the home 2017/18 Kerry Badminton programme of events which will be staged in the Killarney Sports Centre with the starting times of 1pm.
In all 15 teams will compete over the divisions of 3,4 and 5.
In division 3 Clubs Killarney, Kingdom Castleisland and Moyvane will compete; six clubs will do battle in div 4, namely Ballyheigue,Causeway, Iveragh,Killarney, Listowel and Moyvane and 6 clubs will also fight it out in division 5; Annascaul, Ballyheigue, Causeway, Killarney, Castleisland and Moyvane.
The defending champions in these competitions are Moyvane at division 3; Listowel at Division 4 and Killarney at division 5.
All mentors, court helpers and players are requested to report in before 1pm