Tūrangi Junior Badminton ends successful season

Tūrangi's junior badminton champs were celebrated at a ceremony recently.

Tūrangi Junior Badminton wound up the 35th Junior Season last Monday with some fun games and prizegiving.

It has been a most promising year with constant numbers on club nights, positive improvement in play and general support from parents.

With seniors finally joining up with Ōhakune and Taihape after many years to relaunch the local competition, we were able to hold a successful first tournament in Ōhakune.

In 2024, along with that tournament and a teams’ challenge for the three clubs (time to bring the cup out again), Tūrangi also intends to run a junior tournament during the first part of the badminton season.

None of these things, however, can be done without players; both juniors and seniors as well as the juniors’ parental support.

Additionally, support from Bayleys Tūrangi this year has helped contribute to our success and enabled us to provide a little extra at the junior prizegiving, which was very much appreciated.

As Tūrangi Badminton Club, in keeping with the Tūrangi Tongariro Sports Foundation, we also like to encourage healthy activities for our tamariki and rangatahi, so thank you to the Turtle Pools and the Climbing Gym for your support.

To all our players, see you next season and our congratulations to all the winners.

In the beginners under 11 years, winners were: Singles winner Brain You, runner-up Daniel Morunga, and Sportsmanship winner Kauri Falanitule-Cockburn.

Doubles winners were Brian You and Briana You and the Most Improved Under 11 award went to Raukura Grattan.

In the Junior Championships, the girls’ singles winner was Mya-Lee Grattan and the Sportsmanship award went to Peyton Puru-Hardie.

The boys’ singles winner was Treyce Waru, runner-up was Kaden Falanitule-Cockburn and the Sportsmanship winner was Kahlo Falanitule-Cockburn.

The girls’ doubles winners were Annaleyse Walters and Arana Puru-Hardie, and the boys’ doubles went to Kaden Falanitule-Cockburn and Hayden Kingi.

The mixed doubles winners were Annaleyse Walters and Rhone Ellis, the runner-up went to Mya-Lee Grattan and Kaden Falanitule-Cockburn and Most Improved Junior was Rhone Ellis.

In the Intermediate Singles, the winner was Annaleyse Walters, and the runner-up was Tailour Puru-Hardie.

The Best Umpire - Boys went to Hayden Kingi and the Girls’ award went to Arana Puru-Hardie

Saturday Women’s Golf

While Saturday women’s play was somewhat upstaged by the club champs final, the nett and Stableford scoring nonetheless saw their competition holding its own.

Viv Wrathall, defying the age and agility variables of her younger contenders, won with a 74 nett and a 34 Stableford.

Elaine Johnstone slipped a notch in second place via a countback.

Similarly, Charlene Wilson, also on countback from Viv’s Stablefords had to accept being the bridesmaid.

The queens of the greens were Chris Thomson, who sunk the longest putt on Tauhara’s 18th hole, and Sue Murray, who took out the nearest to the pin on the 10th.

The climax of the year’s season, being the finale of the club champs, the good weather, the highly contested competition for non-finalists and the Saturday women’s friendly rivalry all contributed to the buzz up in the clubrooms afterwards.

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