SPORT
Badminton
B adminton continues to grow and develop as a sport, and it has been fantastic to see growing numbers of boys playing and training regularly under the watchful eyes of Mr Ottewill and Mr Suddaby, and benefitting from the excellent coaching skills of Mr Kettle. The development of the fixture list has seen us playing National Champions Wilsons both home and away this year at U15 and U18 level. A Saturday block fixture against Tonbridge on the same weekend as the senior Rugby block, and a hard-fought win over Langley, were other highlights of the season. The Cunningham brothers, Ze Ming Goh and Charlie Purwar were excellent throughout the year, as were Jonathan Pratt, Travis Yip and Korn Suwannarat. The boys have learnt a huge amount, and we look forward to next year with excitement, as the new Sports Hall floor should continue to see an increase in the quality of Badminton on show. Rob Kettle
Rowing T his year the boat club became larger and more successful than ever, sending a record five athletes to early ID trials for Junior Team GB, and one athlete to the first round of trials for Senior Team GB. Whilst the results at this year’s National Schools’ Regatta have been record-breaking, and perhaps not what the team deserved, the squad performed well, producing fast times both on and off the water. The 1st VIII, for example, pulled a time that in years past would have secured them medals, but this year left them unfortunately outside the podium places. It is perhaps something of a double-edged sword, in that with the brilliant progression of British schoolboy rowing, the silverware is much harder to get your hands on. Overall, 71 athletes raced at the National Schools’ Regatta; all bar two crews made it into the finals and through the time trials. The Parents’ Association continues to be a huge success and the DCBC tent was heaving as usual on both Friday and Saturday at the National Schools Regatta. It is often a concern that, with the nature and intensity of the sport, academic concerns can often take a back seat; however, our own squad demonstrates the contrary, with boys in Year 13 receiving offers from Oxford, UCL, and Yale, along with some of the best GCSE results in the school. With the National Schools’ Regatta over, we look to summer racing and the exam season, and hope to see many black and blue blazers on the banks of the Thames at Henley Royal Regatta. Ralph Ellison
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