Paul Whetnall
| Paul Whetnall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 February 1947 Birmingham, West Midlands, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1 May 2014 (aged 67) Dartford, Kent, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 1969-1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Men's singles & Mixed doubles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Paul E Whetnall (19 February 1947 – 1 May 2014)[1] was an English badminton player who won national and international titles between 1968 and 1980.
Career
Whetnall was noted for his shot-making accuracy and tactical astuteness. In his most successful season, 1975–1976, Whetnall won the open men's singles crowns of South Africa, Scotland, Germany, and the USA,[2] as well as his third and last English National singles title.[3] In 1970 Whetnall was a men's singles runner-up in the quadrennial British Commonwealth Games, losing a close final to Canada's Jamie Paulson.[4] Shortly after this, his tournament career suffered a 2+1⁄2-year hiatus due to a badminton pro-tour venture which folded in 1973. Whetnall represented England in Thomas Cup (men's international team) competition in the 1969–1970 and 1975–1976 campaigns.
He represented England and won a silver medal in the singles, at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.[5][6] Four years later he won a second silver medal (in the mixed doubles) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, Christchurch, New Zealand.[7]
Personal life
In 1968, He was married to Susan Pound Whetnall who was an outstanding player of the same era. After he retired in 1980, He mainly coached in Kent for many years and also in charge of coaching for England national badminton team in several high profile tournaments such as Commonwealth Games and World Badminton Championships.[1] Paul is also an author where he co-wrote a book called Badminton (Competitive Sports Spirit) with Trevor Leahy.[8]
On 1st of May 2024, Paul died at 67. He left behind his wife Susan and a son and a daughter, Andrew and Claire.[1]
Achievements
Commonwealth Games
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland | Jamie Paulson | 15–10, 13–15, 10–15 | Silver |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand | Nora Gardner | Derek Talbot Gillian Gilks |
walkover | Silver |
European Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Afan Lido, Port Talbot, Wales | Elo Hansen | 9–15, 2–15 | Bronze |
| 1976 | Fitzwilliam Club, Dublin, Ireland | Flemming Delfs | 9–15, 7–15 | Bronze |
International tournaments (16 titles, 5 runners-up)
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Scottish Open | Derek Talbot | 13–15, 15–9, 15–10 | Winner |
| 1974 | Scottish Open | David Eddy | 15–1, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1974 | Mexico International | Roy Díaz González | 15–7, 5–15, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1975 | South African Championships | Ray Stevens | 15–12, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1975 | German Open | Flemming Delfs | 10–15, 12–15 | Runner-up |
| 1976 | Scottish Open | Ray Stevens | 15–5, 5–15, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1976 | German Open | Flemming Delfs | 17–14, 15–10 | Winner |
| 1976 | U.S. Open | Thomas Kihlström | 17–14, 15–10 | Winner |
| 1980 | Scottish Open | Steve Baddeley | 15–6, 15–1 | Winner |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Scottish Open | Ray Sharp | Robert McCoig Mac Henderson |
18–16, 13–15, 18–14 | Winner |
| 1974 | Mexico International | Victor Jaramillo | Roy Díaz González Jorge Palazuelos |
11–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1975 | South African Championships | Ray Stevens | Kenneth Parsons William Kerr |
15–9, 15–7 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Dutch Open | Julie Rickard | David Horton Jenny Horton |
3–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 1968 | Dutch Open | Angela Bairstow | David Eddy Margaret Boxall |
15–13, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1970 | Belgian International | Margaret Boxall | Alan Parsons Lore Hawig |
15–4, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1970 | Scottish Open | Margaret Boxall | Roger Mills Gillian Gilks |
2–15, 15–11, 8–15 | Runner-up |
| 1970 | Canadian Open | Margaret Boxall | Ippei Kojima Susan Whetnall |
15–12, 5–15, 13–15 | Runner-up |
| 1970 | U.S. Open | Margaret Boxall | Ippei Kojima Machiko Aizawa |
15–8, 15–2 | Winner |
| 1974 | Scottish Open | Nora Perry | Mike Tredgett Margaret Boxall |
15–4, 18–14 | Winner |
| 1974 | Mexico International | Carlene Starkey | Yves Paré Maryanne Breckell |
11–15, 15–9, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1975 | South African Championships | Susan Whetnall | Ray Stevens Barbara Sutton |
6–15, 15–10, 15–3 | Winner |
References
- ^ a b c "badmintonengland.co.uk". Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- ^ "Open Championships," Badminton USA, May 1976, 6.
- ^ Pat Davis, The Guinness Book of Badminton (Enfield, Middlesex, England: Guinness Superlatives Ltd., 1983) 86.
- ^ Davis, 113.
- ^ "1970 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "Edinburgh, 1970 Team". Team England.
- ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ Whetnall, Paul; Leahy, Trevor (1987). Badminton (Competitive Sports Series) (1 ed.). London: BT Batsford Limited. ISBN 0 7134 4832 6. Retrieved 1 May 2025.