Badminton competition draws quality overseas field

THE Knights Badminton Club yesterday unveiled another strong line up for this year's Shires sponsored Leinster Open which starts on Friday evening in Terenure.

Players from Wales, Scotland and New Zealand will join the leading local players for the tournament which has traditionally attracted a quality overseas field.

Two former champions, Nick Hall of New Zealand and Scotland's Jim Mailer, top the seeds in the men's singles, while Scottish number one, Anne Gibson, who is competing in the Open for the first time, will start as the favourite for the women's title.

In the doubles, the Welsh are expected to figure strongly with Sarah Williams and Natasha Groves Burke seeded to edge out Sonya McGinn and Keelin Fox. The vastly experienced Russell Hogg and Kenny Middlemiss, who won on their last visit in 1995, are tipped to regain their title.

For the locals, meanwhile, there will be considerable jostling for position ahead of next week's nationals. The favourites for those championships, including leading singles players Michael Watt and Sonya McGinn, are looking to prove their form this weekend by upsetting some of the visitors.