his year's Welsh Senior National Championships got some new Champions. Preliminary rounds kicked off on Saturday with the Finals being held on Sunday. The Weekend was full of good matches plus there were a few injuries sustained which saw some of the top players having to withdrawal from the competition.

In the Ladies Singles, the recently crowned U17 British No.1 Sarah Thomas took her 1st Senior National Singles title against Carissa Turner also of Cardiff. 21-13, 21-19.

Men's Singles 2007 winner Raj Popat, of Newport, was unable to claim the title back against Team Europe 2012 player and 1st time winner Jamie van Hooijdonk, of Swansea.

In the Ladies Doubles there were new partnerships all round. 2008 Finalist Kelly Blake & one half of 2008 winning pair Vikki Jones were up against 2008 singles champion Caroline Harvey and back in action Kerry Ann Sheppard. A tough 3 setter with little to split the pairs Sheppard & Harvey ran out winners 20-22, 21-18, and 23-21.

Men's Doubles saw the apprentices take on the bosses. Semi retired player/coach Matt Hughes stepped back on court with old partner Milton Keynes based Martyn Lewis of Caerphilly. The former world No. 18's took on their prodigies Gareth Cox & Rhys Pritchard. Final score 21-4, 21-14 to Lewis & Hughes.

In the Mixed Doubles Lewis was back on court with partner Vikki Jones and faced Caroline Harvey & Nic Strange. A good 3 setter with Lewis & Jones getting that title 21-18, 21-23, 21-14.

Performance Co-ordinator Eddie O'Neill looked back on the event, commenting "The weekend proved to be a very good spectacle for everyone involved and we now have some 1st time National Champion Winners.

"The overall standard and quality of play is most definitely higher than the previous year, it was just unfortunate that some of our top players got injured early on in the competition and had to pull out. However this left the competition wide open for our junior players to showcase their talent and it's most certainly going in the right direction".