Phil Worthington courts top-class badminton success

Phil Worthington to take part in the men’s doubles Badminton competition at the Harrogate Senior Silver Tournament

Phil Worthington, 23, who lives in Mill Fold Gardens, Littleborough, is courting success in the competitive world of badminton.

Phil already has a host of top tournament titles under his belt and is now focusing on county honours.

His next big step on the way to stardom comes in September when he and a partner compete in the doubles section of a prestigious tournament in Harrogate which will draw leading players from across Britain.

Phil first began playing badminton at secondary school and now takes up his racquet at every opportunity.

Over the past few years he’s smashed his way to a cabinet full of trophies in the Oldham and Rochdale Badminton League and hopes one day to be selected to play for his home county of Lancashire.

Phil, who is manager of the Rochdale branch of Game, said: “I first tried the sport when I was in year seven at Our Lady’s School in Royton when I was 11 years old and just loved the pace of it. I went on to be pretty successful playing for the school team and just kept it up when I started work.

“I joined the Alpha Whitworth Badminton Club, which is based at Whitworth High School, and with them I’ve been successful in quite a few tournaments.”

Phil’s impressive roll of honour includes Oldham and Rochdale Badminton League (ORBL) boy’s U18s singles winner 2007/08, ORBL boy’s U18s doubles runner up 2007/08, ORBL young player of the year 2009/10, Paul Prajapati Memorial Cup Open Handicap runner up 2009/10 and Hollingworth Badminton Club ORBL Open Division 2 runner up 2009/10.

Further honours include Hollingworth Badminton Club Paul Prajapati Memorial Cup Open Handicap winner 2011/12, Alpha Whitworth B ORBL Mixed Division runner up 2011/12, Spotland Badminton Club ORBL Open Division 1 runner up 2012/13 and Alpha Whitworth `A’ ORBL Mixed Division runner up 2012/13.

Phil is teaming up with his fellow Alpha Whitworth Badminton Club member Paul Baker, 24, from Rochdale, to take part in the men’s doubles competition at the big Harrogate Senior Silver Tournament over the weekend of September 13/14.

“The Senior Silver is aimed at county and strong league players from across the country. It’s the first big tournament appearance for both of us. We know it will be quite hard going but we’re going to give it our best shot,” said Phil.

“If we’re successful we’ll probably go on to enter other similar tournaments. I just love badminton and play as often as I can. At the moment that’s two or three times a week after work and at weekends.

“On Mondays I play at the Alpha Whitworth club and I’ve also joined another club called Yeti which plays in the Manchester Badminton League and meets at Siddal Moor Sports College in Heywood on Friday evenings.

“It’s my ambition to one day play for my county, which is Lancashire, and as I go on entering tournaments and gaining more top level experience I hope I’ll eventually be able to achieve that.”