Many to compete in the big Staffs badmint-off

Fig1: Courtesy of Janine Hickie, Staffs Uni badminton is set for the tournament

The first university-wide tournament will be a doubles competition available to all students, held in association with ActiveUni.

It will be held between Friday 10^th February and Sunday 12^th February in the Stanley Matthews Sports Centre.

The tournament will work in a world-cup format where each team will get at least three games - with the top two progressing through to the bracket stages.

Matt Bristow, 20, Staffordshire Badminton Society second-team captain, said: “It will be a great way to get our society members playing in a competitive style, and to get non-society students involved in the sport.

“We have had strong support from the university with the prizes so hopefully they will entice people to play.”

There is an entry fee of £1 per person for the tournament. Prizes include cash and Union Vouchers, which can be used at Ember, LRV, Verve, Squeezebox and the Shop.

ActiveUni, the tournament sponsor, is a sports programme targeting students who want to play sport at a recreational level but can not commit to university sports club training.

Stuart Barber, 21, currently on a sports coaching placement, runs 'No Strings Badminton' sessions on Mondays and Fridays for up to £2 each time. The programme allows students and other residents to get involved with the sport, whether apart of the society or not.

The society has exceeded expectations by being the second largest at the university.

Stuart said: “The main reason behind the large numbers playing badminton this year is firstly due to the great job the committee have done in promoting the club and gaining sponsorship from the verve.

“This has also worked well with the 'No Strings Badminton', which offers more court time at no extra cost for all members. I currently have over 40 non-members attending the sessions with the vast majority being students.”

As one of the organisers of the tournament, Stuart is keen to see a strong turnout.

He added: “The idea is to make sure nobody stops playing and to keep everyone involved. It is a great chance for non-squad playing members especially, as there are few opportunities to play competitively.”

If you are interested in participating, contact Matt Bristow on 07545627405 or at mattybristow@gmail.com, or you can visit the Facebook Event here.