Bedford Prep School’s U13 pair, Alex Lamb and Krishnan Nair, proudly lifted the U13 IAPS National Badminton Final winners’ trophy on Saturday 12 January, successfully defending the school’s title.
Alex and Krishnan, who are a new pairing this year, stepped up to defend the title, which we have held for the last two years, and, impressively, won five times now in total since 2010.
In a very competitive group, the boys performed well, improving with every game to finish second in their group after winning five games and losing just one to a very strong pair from Bickley Park. As a result of finishing second, the boys faced the fourth-placed team from the second group, who were Davenies School. They won this match comfortably 21-5 to set up a rematch with Bickley Park for a place in the final. Both Alex and Krishnan performed outstandingly; they analysed the mistakes of the first game to figure out how they were going to win the rematch, and pleasingly they executed their plan to perfection. A fast start ensured that Bickley could never catch up and the Bedford Prep pair won the match 21-13 to set up a three-set final with York House.
The boys won the final comfortably in two sets as the agility of Krishnan and the wonderful touch all around the court from Alex proved just too much for the York House pair. The character and determination the boys showed to win the competition was inspiring, and they were real ambassadors for everything that we stand for at Bedford Prep School. Excitingly, both Alex and Krishnan are under 12 so will have the opportunity to defend their title next year.
Well done also to the U11 pair, Sammy Inman and Dylan French, who made it all the way to the semi-finals, and Leo Mathew and Ander Mokhtar-Esteban, who reached the quarter-finals.
Since we first entered the tournament in 2010, we have had the following successes in the competition:
- 2019 – U13 Winners
- 2018 – U13 Winners & U13 Runners Up (all Bedford Prep Final)
- 2017 – U13 Winners
- 2016 – U13 Runners Up & U11 Winners
- 2015 – U13 Winners & U11 Runners Up
- 2014 – U13 Winners & U13 Runners Up (all Bedford Prep)
- 2013 – U11 Plate Winners
- 2012 – U13 Runners Up / U11 Plate Winners
- 2011 – U13 Runners Up
- 2010 – U13 Semi Finals