For the first time in the University’s history, Warwick’s men’s and women’s teams have qualified to compete in the European Universities Sports Association (EUSA) badminton championships and will be heading to Hungary between the 13^th and the 19^th of July.

This comes after Warwick’s recent success at the British Universities and Colleges Association National Championships, where Sam Ricketts and Kelvin Ho secured the University’s first national title.

Badminton’s head coach, Nic Strange, said: “The badminton team have been amazing this year. Looking back at the year we have had some huge achievements from gaining the best-ever results in BUCs to winning our first BUCs Nationals title.

“This has all been due to the dedication to training this year and a lot of early mornings in the wind and rain. I couldn't be prouder of the group and we go into EUSA hoping to make more history.”

 
Meet the teams:

Women:

Captain: Maya Kateli, 21
Course: Philosophy Politics and Economics
Trains: 8-10 times a week
Training song: Hail to the King, Avenged Sevenfold
Breakfast: Egg on toast
Future dreams: Maintaining a badminton career and work in digital markets
Fun Fact: Spent two weeks volunteering in Uganda.


Asha Kateli, 21

Course: Engineering
Trains: 7 times a week max
Training song: Believer – Imagine Dragons
Breakfast: Cereal
Future Dreams: Consultancy at either a financial or engineering firm whilst coaching badminton in schools
Fun Fact: I played the clarinet until grade 8

Jingchen Lu, 25

Course: MA Arts, Enterprise and Development
Trains: Three/Four times a week
Training song: Bones
Breakfast: No food before training
Future Dreams: Finding a job in my major and to keep playing badminton
Fun Fact: Humour

Phoebe Moore, 22

Course: Secondary PGCE - PE
Trains: 3 times a week
Training song: Heartbeat – Scouting for girls
Breakfast: A skinny latte
Future Dreams: Be a PE teacher
Fun Fact: I live next door to my cousin

Zi Yang, 22

Course: MSc E-business management
Trains: 5 days a week
Training song: Beautiful Now
Breakfast: Milk and oats, or bread
Future Dreams: Marketing or Consulting
Fun Fact: My English was pretty bad at the very beginning, I needed my mixed doubles partner to help me translate what Coach said.

Men:

Captain: Kelvin Ho, 24

Course: MSc Service Management and Design
Trains: 6 days a week
Training song: Silence
Breakfast: Coco-pops and ensure
Future Dreams: Trader
Fun Fact: I repeat the same Cantonese song before every match

Andy Oates, 23

Course: Career Development and Coaching Studies
Trains: Every morning
Training song: Enjoy your life – Romy Madley Croft
Breakfast: Nothing before training
Future Dreams: Play golf!
Fun Fact: I used to play cricket for Wales when I was 16

Sam Ricketts, 27

Course: Postgraduate, Career Development & Coaching
Trains: 5 days a week
Training song: Be Alive, Beyonce
Breakfast: Kelloggs Fruit n Fibre with oat milk and a small vanilla Ensure
Future Dreams: I have no idea
Fun Fact: I represented Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games badminton, 2022

Sam Weekes, 20

Course: MChem
Trains: 2 hours a day, 4-5 days a week
Training song: Glorious, Macklemore
Breakfast: Nothing
Future Dreams: Continue playing badminton
Fun Fact: None

Scott Oates, 25

Course: Coaching Studies
Trains: Twice a week
Training song: Gimme, gimme, gimme - ABBA
Breakfast: Sometimes toast, sometimes yoghurt
Future Dreams: To become a lecturer in sports management.
Fun Fact: I played football for Liverpool Academy when I was a junior

 

 Notes to Editors: 
University of Warwick press office contact:  
Bron Mills
Communications Officer | Press & Media Relations | University of WarwickLink opens in a new window  

Emaill: bron.mills@warwick.ac.uk