The 2023 BUCS Nationals took place in February, from the 24th to the 26th, with Strathclyde athletes competing in athletics, swimming, badminton, and indoor climbing. 

Each year, Strathclyde sends 40-50  athletes to compete at BUCS Nationals.

The competition took place in Sheffield and celebrated its 10th anniversary of showcasing student sport in the UK. 

The badminton club successfully won a silver medal at BUCS Nationals. Adam Pringle and  Rachel Andrew faced off with Loughborough University in the finals and claimed second place.

We spoke with Kenneth Cheung, Club President of the Strathclyde Badminton Club, about his experience this year as a participant. He is also a sports scholar and part of the FOCUSport badminton program at the university.

Kenneth competed in both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles tournaments. Kenneth and Adam Pringle succeeded in making it all the way to the quarter-finals for the men’s doubles competition. 

Kenneth and Jennifer Lafferty both qualified for the mixed doubles finals, but in the end, they were knocked out.

What were your personal goals for BUCS Nationals?

My personal goal for BUCS Nationals was to medal. I managed to get to the quarter-finals in the men’s doubles tournament, which I am very pleased about. 
 

How did you train in preparation for Nationals?

I am lucky to be a part of the FOCUSport program at Strathclyde Sport. My coach, Janice, made various changes to my program to prepare for Nationals. The changes she made increased my performance efficiency immensely, and I was in peak shape for the competition.

As far as club training goes, we increased the focus on match training to prepare for Nationals.

What did the club hope to achieve and learn at Nationals?

“As a club, we wanted to grab a few medals at BUCS Nationals. We successfully won a silver medal and made quite a few quarter final appearances, so we are very happy.”

"Unfortunately, two of our key players had to pull out of the competition due to illness, nevertheless, the club was able to pivot and support one another in order to perform. The support we had shown one another, on and off the court, was phenomenal.”

“We are like a family, and everyone gave everything they had at Nationals.” 

What can student-athletes expect the competition level to be like at BUCS Nationals?

Kenneth said, “The level of competition at BUCS Nationals was very high. It was amazing to play as a Commonwealth athlete, and it was a great learning experience.”

“English universities are more competitive than the Scottish Mixed Tier League. It was a great challenge!”

FOCUSports at Strathclyde 

Badminton remains a silver-level FOCUSports. To learn more about the program, click here. 

FOCUSports receive funding to support the success of Strath athletes' competing at BUCS competitions.