Wilson to use 'home advantage' at Para-Badminton International
The 30-year-old, from Glyn Ceiriog near Wrexham, will compete in the SU5 category for athletes with upper limb impairments.
Currently ranked number one in both Wales and the UK, Wilson is eager to make the most of familiar surroundings.
"It's the first time since 2003 that para-badminton has been back in Wales," says Wilson.
"I've got home advantage, back in the hall I spent 10 years of my life in. I'm raring to go."
With a medal firmly in his sights, Wilson also hopes the event will shine a light on the sport's accessibility.
"The ideal scenario is to at least medal," added Wilson.
"It's very important to raise awareness of the sport and show that it's accessible.
"Badminton Wales have done a lot recently in promoting para-badminton."
A 'major occasion' for Welsh para-badminton
The competition will be Wales' largest ever para-badminton tournament, and takes place in Cardiff from 22-26 July.
The important Grade 2, Level 1 event will take place at the Sport Wales National Centre in Sophia Gardens.
The competition sees 131 athletes from 32 countries - including Paralympic, World, and European medallists - compete in what is one of the major stops on the global para-badminton calendar.
The tournament also marks a significant moment for Welsh sport, bringing elite international competition back to the capital for the first time since the World Championships were held in the country back in 2003.
The event forms part of a wider effort by Badminton Wales to champion inclusivity in sport.
Alongside the tournament, the governing body has launched its 'Can You Manage?' campaign – a powerful new video initiative featuring para-athletes that challenges public perceptions and aims to inspire greater participation in the sport.
Kelly Aston MBE, CEO of Badminton Wales, said: "This is the first time we've hosted an event of this size.
"We really want to make it a major occasion to showcase that Wales can host events like para-badminton on the world stage."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Women's Open 2025: Nelly Korda is still No. 1, with the cheering section to prove it
PORTHCAWL, Wales – What does five-year-old golf fan Cece Snell think about Nelly Korda? 'She's the best golfer in the world,' Cece says, clutching a homemade sign that reads 'NELLY' in bright-coloured letters. Cece, who picked Korda out as her favourite player after watching YouTube highlights with her father Joe Snell, is right. As the Rolex Rankings have stated for the past 108 weeks, the 27-year-old is the best in the world – even if the scoreboard at Royal Porthcawl, where the Women's Open is being staged, suggests otherwise at the moment with the Floridian ending the day on 2-under-par and tied for 10th, nine shots back of leader Miyu Yamashita (-11) from Japan. As Korda, a former Olympic champion and two-time major winner, teed off shortly after 8.30 a.m. on Friday alongside compatriot Angel Yin and Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn, there was a sizable crowd already gathered, ready to follow every shot. Cece and her dad left home 85 miles away in Chippenham, England, at 6 a.m. to ensure they would catch sight of Korda. A nice surprise was her catching sight of them. 'As soon as we got here we walked over to the putting green and Nelly was there,' Joe, 31, says. 'Cece was stood holding her sign and you could see the look in Nelly's eyes, this is why they do what they do.' Beatrice Pearce, an 11-year-old golfer from Leeds who travelled to Spain with her mother Holly to watch Korda in the 2023 Solheim Cup, also has a paper sign. It says 'Go Nelly' and features a Welsh dragon illustration. 'She's really cool and seems like a very down-to-earth person,' says Beatrice, who is hoping to return on Sunday to support Korda again. 'She is nice and normal and isn't a show off.' The crowd that followed Korda in their numbers on Friday are hoping she can pull herself into contention by Sunday. But they will be there either way as she tees off. 'That's been my favourite part over the last two years (of being world No. 1),' Korda said when speaking to The Athletic. 'Seeing how many people have come out to support us. It's so much fun getting to play in front of them. Hopefully it's good golf, but no matter what, no matter the outcome, they're always there to support you. It's really fun to play in front of them. 'I find it fun that for me they take time out of their day. So, to sign signatures, wave at them and see the signs they make me, the least I can do is say hi to them.' When Korda says 'us', she refers to her team. At the forefront of that is her caddie Jason McDede. He has been carrying her TaylorMade bag, which for this tournament is pink and has numerous cuddly toys dangling from it — much to the delight of Cece — since 2018. On Friday, McDede was always the first person to shout 'great shot' at anything that looked good. He also stood out for the special green bib he wears, which signals Korda is the highest-ranked golfer on the planet. Her shot up an intimidating hill and onto the green at the sixth signalled her control of her golf swing and her power. Korda dropped the ball just at the back of the pin but was unable to execute the birdie opportunity – an unwanted theme of her week so far. 'I didn't really capitalise on anything in the calmer conditions on the front nine,' Korda said. 'Then it got really windy on the back nine. I made a few more mistakes, but bounced back with some birdies. Overall, I'm not going to complain with even-par.' Beatrice was not alone with her 'We're sticking with Nelly' attitude when cheers went up in the distance for a Lottie Woad birdie. And that is what they did for five hours – stuck with her. Korda tried to stay warm by pulling on an extra pair of golf trousers and a Nike gilet. What she really needed was her putter to warm up and it did – kind of. After making par on every hole on the front nine, sans a bogey on No. 4, Korda made four birdies on the back nine but three bogeys largely cancelled them out. The crowd that applauded most shots wherever they ended up wanted more from her and Korda wanted it from herself. She jumped up and down after her second shot on No. 11, knowing it was on its way to a bunker but trying to somehow stop it. She made an easy escape but then lipped the hole with her putt. Cows in a nearby field groaned loudly, almost like they too were annoyed. At No. 12, when both Yin and Jutanugarn found sand, Korda found a birdie to go back under par. The Open radio channel was on course with Korda, Yin (-1) and Jutanugarn (+1) all day. And when Sky Sports' cameras started rolling at midday with the group on the 13th hole, the sun started shining and Korda found warmth in that putter as she pulled out another birdie. Then on 14, with the sea staring at her and the wind blowing directly towards the club face, Korda made it a day out at the seaside by landing on sand again. She got out OK and came agonisingly close to salvaging par. Getting up and down in golf in as little shots as possible is crucial but managing the up and down is even more so. And Korda came off the greens feeling happy with how she handled it. Before teeing off on the last hole, a birdie finish, two young girls got a hand tap from Korda as she approached the tee box. They giggled excitedly before squeezing under the blue rope to watch Korda blast it down the fairway. Even if it's not a day or weekend to remember for Korda, seeing her play golf continues to be an unforgettable experience for those spectators following her. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Golf, Women's Golf 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UFC Vegas 108's Chris Duncan credits teammate Dustin Poirier in rise to gilly goose royalty
Until last year, Chris Duncan hadn't won a fight via guillotine since his professional debut in 2018. But now suddenly he's riding a two-fight streak with both victories sealed by the technique? A couple of weeks ago, when honoring his legendary teammate Dustin Poirier, I couldn't help but notice one particular sentence in the midst of the plaudits Duncan gave 'The Diamond'. 'I watched you when I was a young kid [in] WEC, you are the guy who then became a teammate,' wrote the 32-year-old Scot on Instagram. Then came the kicker: 'Then you showed me the famous gilly grip!!!!' Could it be? Had Duncan inherited the magical method that made Poirier the de facto leader of the Gilly Goose Gang for the past few years? Granted, the Louisiana poster boy captivated audiences for his attempts of the choke rather than his execution, but according to Duncan, he wasn't just throwing compliments out there willy-nilly. 'When he was getting ready for Benoit Saint-Denis, we were doing a lot of wrestling together,' Duncan told Uncrowned of Poirier. 'I was being used for grappling rounds only, because I'm not a southpaw. Every Saturday he was doing his conditioning circuit, live pads and live grappling rounds. His objective was to keep getting up and a few times he was catching me with that submission. I always thought I had a good guillotine as it was, but I asked, 'What are you doing there?' Because even when I was doing everything right, he was still getting me with it. 'Over time he helped me develop it and he showed me the different things he was doing — and believe it or not, it's won me a lot of money!' Duncan is no doubt referring to the Performance of the Night bonus he secured with his guillotine victory over Bolaji Oki this past September, which he followed up with another guillotine victory in March over one of the golden boys of the U.K. scene, former Cage Warriors champion Jordan Vucenic. 'I threw him about like an empty tracksuit,' Duncan remembered. 'I try not to badmouth any of my opponents, and I hope this doesn't sound wrong, but I make a lot of sacrifices in every fight camp to travel to American Top Team. I'm training with the best guys in the world, whereas he did his fight camp in [English town] Corby — most people don't know where that is.' You see, Duncan never got the big promotional backing that Vunenic enjoyed in his pre-UFC career. The first time I saw him fight, he upset a highly-hyped hometown favorite in Dublin's 3 Arena, silencing the partisan Irish crowd to the point of disbelief at a Bellator show in 2019. It took the Scot minutes to dispose of striking standout Sam Slater that night. He went on to win two more tests under the Bellator banner, but was never afforded the push like others on the now-defunct promotion's European roster. In a strange way, not being synonymous with the brand like James Gallagher or Fabian Edwards may have helped Duncan contractually when it came to getting a nod for the UFC's Contender Series. Although it took him two bites of the apple before he earned his UFC contract, Duncan now has his feet comfortably under the table as a five-fight veteran. While it's certainly an escalation in terms of rankings, you get the sense that Duncan is relishing the thought of facing Mateusz Rębecki in the co-main event of this weekend's UFC Vegas 108 card. He may be the underdog, but the way he sees it, that just gives him a bigger opportunity to win the masses over. 'People are always going to doubt you,' he explained. 'I haven't had any crazy performances — I've had some good ones, but I haven't had a crazy fight in there yet. People probably think I'm just an average fighter, but I'll prove to them that I'm far from average.' And what are the chances he could make it three guillotine finishes in a row? 'I'm going to try it," Duncan exclaimed. "I think he's going to wrestle, so I should get a chance. It's f***ing embedded into my game. I've got so many ins and so many outs with that submission. It's definitely possible, you'll have to wait and see.'
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Japan's Miyu Yamashita and Rio Takeda pull away from the field at Women's British Open
PORTHCAWL, Wales (AP) — Miyu Yamashita started and finished with short birdie putts and was flawless in between as she posted a 7-under 65 on Friday to build a three-shot lead over Rio Takeda going into the weekend of the Women's British Open. The Japanese players, both among the top 15 in the women's world ranking, played in the same group at Royal Porthcawl and put on a show in the second round, matching great shots and big putts along the way that left the rest of the field far behind. Takeda was the only player within seven shots of Yamashita. Nelly Korda (72) and rising English star Lottie Woad (70) were among the top 10 on the leaderboard and still nine shots behind at the halfway point. Woad was on the cusp of contention until a triple bogey on the par-4 16th. 'There was a lot more good in it than bad,' Woad said. 'Played really well for 17 holes, just that one hole cost me a bit.' Yamashita was bogey-free and did most of her damage with four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn as she took advantage of an early start before stronger wind arrived. 'I didn't make any particular adjustments to my swing, but the wind was strong, so I think shots are important, as well as club selection and the direction I aim at the target,' Yamashita said. 'So things like that are important, so I played while keeping in mind the image I've been practicing so far.' Takeda, whose two LPGA titles include the Toto Japan Classic last year before she was a member, was slowed by a pair of bogeys. Takeda atoned for that with a superb approach into the par-5 ninth that settled within tap-in range for eagle. She shot 69. 'I was able to play calmly today, and I hope to focus on my game and play calmly again tomorrow,' Takeda said. Yamashita, who celebrates her 24th birthday on Saturday, was at 11-under 133. Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland and Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand each shot 69 and were tied for third at 4-under 140, along with American Lindy Duncan (70). The cut was shaping up to be at 2-over 146. Brooke Henderson of Canada was right on the cut line until missing a 4-foot par putt on the windblown 17th, and then failing to make birdie on the par-5 closing hole. Also missing the cut were world No. 4 Ruoning Yin (77(, Rose Zhang (76) and U.S. Women's Open champion Maja Stark (78). Korda remains the No. 1 player in women's golf despite not winning this year, and she now faces a tall order with a nine-shot deficit for the last 36 holes. 'Honestly didn't really capitalize on anything in the calmer conditions on the front nine, then kind of got really windy on the back,' Korda said. 'Made a few more mistakes but bounced back with some birdies. Overall, I'm not going to complain with even par.' Woad made the best run at the Japanese duo until one swing and one nasty lie cost her. She had a 3-wood for her second shot into a strong wind on the par-4 16th. It sailed to the right into thick grass. Her first hack moved the golf ball only a few inches. She had to take a penalty shot for an unplayable lie, got that one on the green and two-putted for a triple bogey. She closed with two pars for a 70, a score that otherwise would seem satisfactory. 'I'd certainly take it now, but not when I was standing on the 16th tee,' Woad said with a smile. 'Yeah, just got to try to play well over the weekend. It's pretty packed, so I can move up a bit.' Everyone is chasing Yamashita, who led the Japan LPGA money list in 2022 and 2023 while winning five times in each of those seasons. She also finished one shot out of a playoff for the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics last year. For now, she is thinking only about keeping her rhythm in the wind. 'I haven't particularly worried about expected scores until now. I'm always thinking about competing for a high ranking in each tournament, and I just played with my day in mind,' Yamashita said. 'So I'm glad that my score and ranking worked out.' ___ AP golf: