The annual Ulster Primary Schools competition is under way for 2010. The first Regional event took place in Bangor Castle Leisure Centre in Friday 26^th February 2010. The event attracted 64 competitors representing Primary Schools from Bangor, Newtownards and Holywood.

As with previous years the event allowed the young players to play in both singles and doubles matches representing their school against rival schools and competitors. This is the third year this programme has taken place and it’s great to see the number of players coming from the schools is increasing each year. This is all down to the local schools, their teachers and principals and also a few dedicated club people that help with the running of the schools club. I would like to personally thank all these people for their support and help on the day of the competition, their work in their school in promoting badminton and their continued support of this competition.

The top two teams in the boys and girls events go forward to compete in the Ulster finals later in the year. These teams are listed below:

BOYS:

1^st        Jon McCready and Michael Agnew – Ballyholme Primary School, Bangor

2^nd        Ryan Jackson and Michael Gaffney – St Comgalls Primary School, Bangor

GIRLS:

1^st        Caoimhe Morrison and Kathryn Simpson – St Comgalls Primary School, Bangor

2^nd        Aine Kerr and Helen McCullough – St Comgalls Primary School, Bangor

Congratulations to all those who took part and well done again to the 4 teams going forward to the finals competition.

Finally I would personally like to thank Jonathan Moffett and Tanya Fisher from the Sports Development Unit at North Down Borough Council for their help in organising this event and for the Councils continued support of the event.

Further Regional events are planned for, Strabane, Banbridge, Donegal and Belfast before the finals competition. It is hoped that all Regional events will take place before the end of April and that the finals competition will take place in May at the National Badminton Centre in Lisburn.