Former British great gives boost to Games preparation
A FORMER great of British badminton is helping Guernsey players reach their best for the home Island Games.
Derek Talbot’s accolades from the 1970s include four Commonwealth Games and three All-England titles, plus he can claim to be a winner at the Olympics – but not an official medallist – after winning the mixed doubles in Munich 1972, where badminton was an exhibition event.
The 76-year-old moved to the island in November 2021, keeping a fairly low profile while he renovated a property.
He attended this year’s Easter Open to see long-term badminton friends and his experience there encouraged him to get more involved in the sport locally.
‘I was impressed by the technical quality of the players, and the ones who have been involved in their coaching have done a pretty good job,’ he said.
But he identified points for improvement and consequently made contact with the Guernsey Badminton Association.
‘With the Island Games coming along, I thought I could offer my assistance in doing what anybody wants – from publicity to coaching, wherever there was a need, I would be happy to do it.’
He has recently started helped out at coaching sessions, for which Games team manager Elena Johnson is very grateful.
‘To have someone who has achieved as much as he has in the game supporting us is amazing,’ she said.
‘He has picked up on various tactical areas to focus on to prepare us to play at the best level we can during the Games.’
The Newcastle native has spent half his life living on islands, including three decades in Ibiza and a more recent five-year spell in Malta.
But his first trip to Sarnian soil had actually come about as a player in the exhibition matches at the Guernsey Badminton Association’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
That experience, over two decades ago, had made a real impression.
‘I was very impressed at how beautiful the island was but also how friendly the people were, so in fact many moons ago I had in my mind that Guernsey would be a nice place to live,’ he said.
Talbot once wrote a popular book called Badminton to the Top.
He has served on the British Olympic Fundraising Committee, with the Princess Royal as patron, and he was the first-ever chairman of the World Badminton Players’ Association.
His off-court successes included becoming an MBE for his services to badminton in the 2013 Birthday Honours list.
But which of his on-court achievements reigns supreme?
‘The one that would strike most people would be winning the Olympic gold when badminton was first introduced,’ he said of his winning allegiance with Gillian Gilks.
But he chose to highlight his run to winning the singles at the 1972 Canada Open, beating the holders of several major international titles in the process.
Considered one of the greatest all-rounders in English badminton history, he picked up several doubles and team titles on the Commonwealths stage, plus individual silver at Edmonton 1978 and bronze at Christchurch 1974.
His accolades also include 11 English Nationals titles, three All-England Open doubles victories and a mixed silver at the 1977 World Championships.
What a gain this could be for Guernsey badminton.
