26 July, 2023
England’s best junior players will be looking to thrive on home soil at the YONEX All England Junior Badminton Championships 2023 in Birmingham this week.
Taking place from 27-30 July in the Second City, the best junior players from England and across the globe will be in action at one of the most prestigious Junior International Series events on the calendar.
The event will be held at the University of Birmingham Sports & Fitness Centre, with special thanks to our Official Partner Yonex – the Official Equipment Partner of the YONEX All England Junior Open Badminton Championships.
Among those looking to star at the U19 event from an English perspective are Oliver Butler and Chloe Dennis, who are top seeds in the mixed doubles draw.
Butler and Dennis receive a Round 1 bye, and will start their campaign in the second round against another English pairing in the form of David Ng and Raye Wan.
Dillon Chong is seeded sixth alongside Scottish partner Brooke Stalker, the duo beginning their title challenge in Round 2 against Irish duo Dylan Noble and Paige Woods.
Also top seeds in Birmingham are Chloe Dennis and Leona Lee, who will be among the leading contenders in the women’s doubles competition.
Does your club know where to go for help and support? 🤝
As an affiliated club, Larchfield Badminton Club bounced back after a difficult time, with a grant and free training from Badminton England.
📰 https://t.co/oFJhFkOerL
More on the Development Fund: https://t.co/gWChvQseBg pic.twitter.com/Hy8knfmsEx— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) July 20, 2023
Dennis and Lee, one of eight all-English partnerships in the draw, start their tournament in the second round against Ireland’s Michelle Shochan and Woods.
Robin Harper and Harry Wakefield are the highest-ranked English pairing in the men’s doubles draw, with the duo third seeds in the draw.
The pairing have a Round 1 bye, and will get their tournament underway with a second round clash against either Llwyd Crump and Harper Leigh of Wales or Malaysians Jeffrey Chang and Kai Chong.
Alongside his mixed campaign, Oliver Butler is fourth seeded in the men’s doubles draw with partner Ethan Hosken, with a potential second round against another English pairing – Edward Davey and Sonish Hathi – a possibility.
As well as being top seed in the women’s doubles, Leona Lee is fifth seed in the women’s singles draw, leading home hopes.
She will face compatriot Jessica Randall in the second round, Lee herself receiving a bye while Randall has been handed a walkover by Scotland’s Katie Stewart.
Coffee charts ☕️, training grounds 🏸, and a sneak peek of the hall hosting 4 Nations Para Badminton International 2023. 🏴
Tour the English Institute of Sport with Jack Shephard and Krysten Coombs. 🏸
🎫 https://t.co/1nait0UhiF
@uksportinst @sheffcouncil @SheffCityTrust pic.twitter.com/7ErJqvJKTk— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) July 19, 2023
In a large men’s singles draw, there are four seeded players from England.
Dillon Chong is tenth seed and receives an opening round bye, as does 11th seed Michael Pang, who will start his campaign in the second round against Ireland’s Robbie Frost.
14th seed Felix Wright and 16th seed Ben Hammond are also in the draw, both receiving a bye into the second round.
In total, 80 English players are set to be in action across all five events; you can find all draw information here.
