Young guns shine at local badminton thriller

It was a battle of new versus old with FastStep’s Elite squad only formed this year to bring together some of the best young badminton talent in the region. Meanwhile Hassocks this year celebrates its 40th successful year.

From the outset it was a close contest with FastStep just missing out on levelling the tie after 8 matches when the deciding game went to sudden death on 20-20 and Hassocks sneaked the crucial point to put them ahead. Hassocks extended its lead in the final round of matches to secure a 7-5 overall win.

It was an enthrawling spectacle enjoyed by some of FastStep’s younger players who were invited to watch and learn. Both sides agreed the fixture should be repeated again.

Andrew Craig, team manager for FastStep said: “We’re delighted to have demonstrated through this epic encounter that age isn’t a barrier in badminton and it really is a sport for anyone to enjoy at any level.”

FastStep Badminton Academy provides coaching for young players of all standards in Haywards Heath and Crawley, see www. faststepbadminton.co.uk for details. Hassocks Badminton Club is a competitive local club that meets on Wednesdays 8pm at St Paul’s Catholic College, Burgess Hill. See www.hassocksbadmintonclub.co.uk for details.