Kirsty’s all set to net place in squad for Euro junior championship

Dec 31 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

Kirsty’s all set to net placein squad for Euro junior championship

BOTHWELL badminton player Kirsty Gilmour has been given a place in Scotland’s preliminary squad for the European Junior Championships in Italy in April.

Gilmour (15) is one of 12 of the country’s most promising players in the squad, which will be trimmed to eight for the competition, to be held in Milan in April.

The call-up is the culmination of an impressive season for Bank of Scotland Under-19 singles and doubles champion Kirsty, and wasn’t unexpected, according to her dad Brian, who himself is a former Scotland junior coach.

PE teacher Brian (47), said: “Although it’s tremendous news, it wasn’t unexpected that Kirsty was going to be in the squad because she’s first-pick and we almost take it for granted that she will be involved in this sort of thing.

“But it’s a tremendous achievement, particularly since she will be the youngest in the team but will be one of the top girls.

“Kirsty is an under-16 player and she’s a young under-16 player – she only turned 15 in September – so it is a great feat to have been selected.

“It will be a very hard and physical week, and Kirsty is expected to get through a few rounds, so the expectation is there.

“But Kirsty brushes that off and deals with it all quite well.

“She doesn’t talk about badminton when she’s away from it and you sometimes have to draw it out of her but she’s training regularly to sharpen her up.

“Apart from schoolwork she is pretty much in full-time training.”

In the countdown to the tournament, the squad – which also features Motherwell’s Fraser Michie – will meet at the National Badminton Academy at Glasgow’s Scotstoun for practice sessions on January 17 and 24, February 7 and 14, and March 14 before the eight-strong squad is finalised.

Kirsty will take part in an EBU Gold tournament in York on January 3 and 4, followed by the Belgian Juniors the following week. She will also take part in the Scottish National Championships at the end of January.