Team Derby Ambassador To Face Olympic Teams
6 July 2012
Team Derby's Sports Ambassador on her arrival at the University.
Derbyshire Olympian Donna Kellogg MBE is to make a return to the badminton court with former doubles partner Gail Emms MBE as part of a Great Britain All Stars team at an international exhibition event in Derbyshire later this month.
The GB All Stars team will compete against players from Canada and Australia who will be in the UK to represent their countries later this month at the London 2012 Olympics Games.
Tickets for the exhibition event, taking place at Etwall Leisure Centre in South Derbyshire on Saturday July 21, from 6pm until 9.30pm, are now on sale.
Donna, who represented Great Britain at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics and is now a sports ambassador for the University of Derby's Team Derby, will be joined by Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms, the mixed doubles partnership that took home silver for Great Britain at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
The exhibition tournament will include three matches, and there will also be off court action such as smash and accuracy activities, presentations and autographs.
The event will come towards the end of a pre-Games training camp for the Australian and Canadian Olympic badminton teams at Etwall Leisure Centre - a recognised national specialist badminton facility - with players from both nations due to spend a week in South Derbyshire just days before the Games begin, before making their way to the Olympic Village.
During their time training in Derbyshire the players and coaches will work with former GB Badminton director Andy Wood, who was Head Coach of the GB team at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympics.
Andy, who lives in South Derbyshire, coached Simon Archer and Joanne Goode to Britain's first Olympic medal, a bronze in Sydney in 2000, and Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms to their silver in Athens in 2004.
A limited number of tickets for the international badminton exhibition event are now on sale from Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre on 01283 222848. Tickets are priced at: Adult £12, Children £8. Family £30 (2 adults and 2 children). Concessions £10. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available on the door.
The Derbyshire Management Group for the 2012 Games has organised the visits by the badminton players and coaches from Australia and Canada, with representatives from South Derbyshire District Council, Active Nation, Derbyshire Badminton Association, the University of Derby and Derbyshire Sport involved in the planning.
The University of Derby will provide transport for both teams during their stay in Derbyshire, including transportation from the airport to Derbyshire, travel around the county, and transportation to the Olympic Village.
