Loughborough Grammar School pupils selected for prestigious England badminton pathway

Two pupils from Loughborough Grammar School have been selected to attend a prestigious England Junior Performance Pathway training session at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes next month.

The invitation places the boys among just 12 players from across the country chosen to take part in the highly competitive programme, which is designed to identify and develop the next generation of elite badminton talent.

Both pupils are key members of the Loughborough Grammar School’s badminton team and have demonstrated exceptional skill, commitment and competitive success to earn their place at the national training session. They also both play for Leicestershire County. The Junior Performance Pathway, run by Badminton England, provides a structured route for talented young athletes to progress towards international level competition.

The training session will give the boys the opportunity to work with national coaches, experience high-performance environments, and benchmark themselves against some of the best junior players in England.

Harry said: “I think this is a huge accomplishment for me and I’m happy that the hard work and many hours of training paid off. I’m looking forward to competing with everyone in the future.”

Ibthiha added: “I’m looking forward to playing with the top players in the country and to be able to compete with them. I’m also hoping to gain help on what to improve on and confidence in knowing that I am able to compete with the top players in the country.”

Mrs Rachel Lewis, Head of PE at Loughborough Grammar School said: “We are absolutely delighted to see two of our pupils recognised at this level; to be selected as part of such a small and competitive group is an incredible achievement.

Badminton continues to be a strong sport within the School, and opportunities like this are invaluable in supporting our pupils to fulfil their potential. We look forward to seeing how they benefit from the experience and continue to develop in the sport.”

The selection builds on a standout year for the sport, with the School’s U14 badminton team crowned national champions at the School Sport Magazine national finals in March.