Bedford Prep School were once again triumphant at the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) Badminton Doubles championships; winning both first and second places in the U13 competition to replicate their stunning performance in 2017!

Eight Bedford Prep boys (two pairings in each of the U11 and U13 competitions) made the long trip to Great Walstead School in West Sussex on Saturday 13 January to compete in the championships.

The U13A team pair of Josha Mital and Joshua Stewart were looking to defend their title from last year, and the U13B team pair of Max Pearson and Vedant Somal were hoping to go one better than their runners-up position. Both teams started well winning all seven of their respective group games, allowing them both to qualify first from their respective groups.

Both pairs then won their quarter-finals against York House A and Great Walstead A, to comfortably set up semi-finals against York House B and Aldwickbury respectively. Josha and Joshua beat York House B 21-7 to book their place in the final, and Vedant and Max enjoyed a close match, which they eventually won 21-17. Their victories set up an exact repeat of last year’s final as the two Bedford Prep pairs met each other in the best of three sets. However, the power and speed of the A-team was just too formidable for the B-team, and they won 21-3 and 21-13, allowing Josha and Joshua to retain their IAPS Badminton title.

A special mention should go to Josha Mital who played in his sixth and final IAPS Badminton competition. He played in his first final, and picked up his first title, in 2013 with his brother for MK Prep. He then went on to win the U11 title twice more as well as picking up a runners-up spot. In the U13 competition, he has won the title twice – an incredible achievement!

Our U11 teams also gained some excellent experience and played some great badminton. The U11B pairing of Jamie Mailing and Sammy Inman had an enjoyable day but were unable to progress beyond the group stages. However, as both boys are under ten, they hope to continue to improve and be back to compete again next year.

The U11A team pair of Alex Lamb and Dylan French enjoyed more success, winning five out of six of their group games to qualify them for a quarter-final against Milton Keynes A. In a well-contested match, Alex and Dylan won 21-16 to set up a semi-final against a very strong St Martins side. Unfortunately, St Martins went on to win 21-17 in what was a superb game. They also won the final, which illustrates just how close the boys came and their great potential for the future.

Well done to all the boys!

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