Badminton players with learning difficulties come together for first tournament in years
Badminton players with learning difficulties from across the country have come together to take part in a tournament featuring 84 players.
For the first time in almost two and a half years, Special Olympics GB managed to return to full-scale competition with the largest celebration of intellectual disability sport in Great Britain in a new format called The Special Olympics GB Summer Series of Sport.
Some 84 players descended upon WJ Sports Centre in Walsall for the weekend of competition, including 11 from Special Olympics Sandwell.
Competitors came from across the country, with 48 players from the West Midlands, made up of players from Sandwell, Shropshire, Birmingham, North Staffordshire and Sutton Coldfield.
Norma Hyde, chair of Special Olympics Sandwell, said: "We are all part of the West Midlands group and we all wore the same kit which was wonderful.
"All the teams had their own music to come out to, we came out to 'We Will Rock You'.
"It was picked by the players and got the spectators going."
Due to the pandemic, this is the first opportunity a lot of the players have had to play in two years.
"We were cancelled last year for our week-long special Olympics, which we hold in a university town or city," Norma said.
"It cancelled Liverpool 2021, this is some players' first full badminton game since the pandemic.
"Events like this are so important, they train hard and do their best with the skills they have learned.
"But importantly, everybody can have a go regardless of how skilled they are.
"They play against someone of a similar level and they all get to play the same number of games.
"It is wonderful to watch, they are so pleased to be back, and on the social side of it, they become so confident as they improve."
The first event of this kind took place back in 1990 and saw just a handful of players take part, now in 2022, 84 stepped forward to battle it out.
The Special Olympics GB Summer Series runs between June and September 2022, providing competition in a minimum of 12 sports, including athletics, swimming and basketball, across Great Britain.
Norma said: "It is something that was very missed during the pandemic, some people were very lonely over that period which affected mental health issues, so it is great to be reunited at long last.
"They are really proud to be part of their team and doing their best.
"It is real sport, people who come to watch are often surprised just how good they are."
