Ex-internationals turn the clock back

With three former Irish internationals competing in this year’s Irish Masters National Championships at Lisburn Racquets Club spectators were treated to a feast of badminton at the highest level.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Feb 2014, 08:00 BST
L-R Eugene McKenna, Graham Henderson Brian McKee and Michael Watt pictured before the Irish National Veterans Championships. Former international McKee withdrew on the eve of the Championships but McKenna, Henderson and Watt turned the clock back with superlative performances.L-R Eugene McKenna, Graham Henderson Brian McKee and Michael Watt pictured before the Irish National Veterans Championships. Former international McKee withdrew on the eve of the Championships but McKenna, Henderson and Watt turned the clock back with superlative performances.
L-R Eugene McKenna, Graham Henderson Brian McKee and Michael Watt pictured before the Irish National Veterans Championships. Former international McKee withdrew on the eve of the Championships but McKenna, Henderson and Watt turned the clock back with superlative performances.

The three players from Alpha Badminton Club Michael Watt, Eugene McKenna and Graham Henderson could boast of over two hundred international caps between them and a host of national titles too.

Michael Watt, who won his first cap in 1985 and with ten national singles wins to his credit, defeated Kevin Byrne, Kevin Donnelly, top seeded Shane Guildea and Cormac O’Connor all in straight sets on his way to a 21-7 21-6 victory in the final over Shane Gildea to lift the Mens Singles 40 title.

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With Michael Turkington teaming up with Watt in the Ulster League on a weekly basis, the expectation of a clash between Turkington and Watt and Graham Henderson and Eugene McKenna was eagerly anticipated and the competition could not have asked for more as they battled it out for supremacy in a final lasting over seventy minutes.

Henderson and McKenna had reached the final with wins over John Kiernan and Sean Leahy, No2 seeds Barry Gildea and Shane Gildea and Willie Stevenson and Ian Suffern.

Turkington and Watt, meanwhile were straight sets winners over top seeded Seamus Halpin and Patrick O’Connell but lost the opening set 26-24 of the final only to come back to snatch the second 24-22 against Graham and Eugene with eleven national titles between them to take it into a deciding third set.There was nothing between both partnerships but it was Henderson and McKenna who were to turn the clock back and lift the Veterans title 21-19.