Winston Wilkinson (badminton)
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | British (Northern Irish) | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 July 1940 Belfast, Northern Ireland | |||||||||||||||||
| Died | 10 March 2014 (aged 73) Spain | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | |||||||||||||||||
| Club | Christ Church BC Ballymacarrett BC | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Cyril Winston Wilkinson (8 July 1940 – 10 March 2014) was an Irish badminton player, sixteen time national champion, and badminton coach. He represented Northern Ireland at two Commonwealth Games.
Early and personal life
Wilkinson was a student of Trinity College Dublin from 1959 to 1962.[1][2] In 1972, he earned a Masters in Education from Queen's University Belfast, and subsequently completed his Ph.D. in the same institution in 1981, with a thesis on "A consideration of the growth of the concept of the community school, with particular reference to its development since 1930 in Great Britain and the United States of America.".[3][4][5]
Sporting career
At the age of twenty, Wilkinson started playing senior interprovincial badminton.[6] Despite being from Ulster, he was eligible to play for Leinster by virtue of the fact he was a student in Trinity College Dublin. Footage from 1960 of a doubles match Wilkinson played in against Ulster survives in the Irish Film Institute archive.[7] That year Wilkinson was first called up to the Ireland national badminton team as a men's doubles player in a Thomas Cup match against Denmark.[8]
Wilkinson played club badminton for Christ Church before joining Ballymacarrett in East Belfast during December 1967.[9]
The 1960's saw Wilkinson dominate the men's doubles and mixed doubles national titles, with a sole men's single title included for good measure. Beginning in December 1961, Wilkinson succeeded in the men's singles of the Irish National Badminton Championships. The semi-finals of that tournament saw him paired against James 'Chick' Doyle, the reigning men's single champion unbeaten since 1953. Wilkinson received a walkover as Doyle withdrew. The final saw Wilkinson overcome Lennox Robinson in two sets.[10]
Wilkinson represented the Northern Irish team[11] at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland,[12] where he competed in the doubles events.[13] At the Games, partnering Sammy Blair in the doubles, they reached the quarter final before being knocked out by eventual champions Ng Boon Bee and Punch Gunalan of Malaysia.[14]
Wilkinson also represented the Northern Irish team at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada,[15] where he competed in the Men's doubles event.[16]
Coaching roles and later life
In the 1980's Wilkinson was an Irish team coach and a senior coach with the Badminton Union of Ireland.[17][18] Wilkinson died in 2014 in Spain.[19]
References
- ^ "Further examination results from T.C.D.". The Irish Times. 6 November 1959.
- ^ "Badminton club" (PDF). trinitynewsarchive.ie. Trinity News.
- ^ "A consideration of the concept of the Community School as it has developed in England and the United States and its influence : actual and potential, on some secondary schools in Northern Ireland". QUB library catalogue. Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "A consideration of the growth of the concept of the community school, with particular reference to its development since 1930 in Great Britain and the United States of America". QUB library catalogue. Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Students collect their well earned degrees". Belfast Telegraph. 19 December 1981.
- ^ "A wise move by the B.U.I.". Dublin Evening Mail. 29 November 1960.
- ^ "BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS – AMHARC ÉIREANN: EAGRÁN 80". ifiplayer.ie. Gael Linn. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Early honour for Belfast player". Belfast Telegraph. 5 December 1960.
- ^ "Now Sammy Blair Joins Ballymac". Ireland's Saturday Night. 9 December 1967. p. 7. Retrieved 11 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Great doubles partnership". The Irish Times. 11 December 1961.
- ^ "Guide to the Games". Ireland's Saturday Night. 11 July 1970. p. 3. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Edinburgh 1970". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ "Badminton stars for Edinbugh". Larne Times. 9 July 1970. p. 13. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Blair and Moore out". Larne Times. 23 July 1970. p. 14. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Julie (13) for Games". Belfast Telegraph. 13 June 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 15 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Medal Standings Edmonton 1978". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "Sligo hosts seminar on racquet sports". Sligo Champion. 8 April 1988.
- ^ "Tough battle facing Ireland". Belfast Telegraph. 20 January 1983.
- ^ "Coach Winston well-known at badminton club". lisburntoday.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2021.