Sarnians paired up in the hunt for medals
A MIX of rising youth and experienced stars will compete side-by-side for doubles medals at the coming Island Games.
Following the squad announcement in March and the classy Senior Silver tournament over Easter, Guernsey Badminton has now announced the pairings for Gibraltar.
Seven of the 10 players who helped Guernsey top the medal tables in Gotland 2017 are returning and, as team manager Kevin Le Moigne attests to, there have been some difficult decisions involved.
‘It’s very difficult with the selection. There were a number of possible pairings available,’ said Le Moigne.
The mixed doubles was Guernsey’s most successful event in Gotland, with four Sarnians meeting in the final, and Ove Svejstrup and Elena Johnson will be returning to defend their title.
Previous runner-up Chloe Le Tissier will, meanwhile, benefit from joining forces with the vastly-experienced Paul Le Tocq.
They recently combined to great effect as the sole Guernsey-only pairing to bring back a title over the Easter weekend.
‘They won the champs at Easter, so they have been playing very well together,’ added Le Moigne.
Le Tissier’s previous doubles partner Jordan Trebert will instead compete alongside sister Emily Trebert.
Stuart Hardy and Bridget Podger are the final mixed pairing.
Johnson and Le Tissier form the crack women’s pairing as they seek to surpass their bronze in Gotland, and they are joined by Emily Trebert and Bridget Podger.
The men’s doubles event features star veterans Le Tocq and Ove Svejstrup, backed up by Jordan Trebert and Jamie Fairclough.
Jordan Trebert, Hardy and Fairclough will also compete in the men’s singles, while Le Tissier, Emily Trebert and Carys Batiste are set for the women’s competition.
