Wilson to use 'home advantage' at Para-Badminton International
The 30-year-old, from Glyn Ceiriog near Wrexham, will compete in the SU5 category for athletes with upper limb impairments.
Currently ranked number one in both Wales and the UK, Wilson is eager to make the most of familiar surroundings.
"It's the first time since 2003 that para-badminton has been back in Wales," says Wilson.
"I've got home advantage, back in the hall I spent 10 years of my life in. I'm raring to go."
With a medal firmly in his sights, Wilson also hopes the event will shine a light on the sport's accessibility.
"The ideal scenario is to at least medal," added Wilson.
"It's very important to raise awareness of the sport and show that it's accessible.
"Badminton Wales have done a lot recently in promoting para-badminton."
A 'major occasion' for Welsh para-badminton
The competition will be Wales' largest ever para-badminton tournament, and takes place in Cardiff from 22-26 July.
The important Grade 2, Level 1 event will take place at the Sport Wales National Centre in Sophia Gardens.
The competition sees 131 athletes from 32 countries - including Paralympic, World, and European medallists - compete in what is one of the major stops on the global para-badminton calendar.
The tournament also marks a significant moment for Welsh sport, bringing elite international competition back to the capital for the first time since the World Championships were held in the country back in 2003.
The event forms part of a wider effort by Badminton Wales to champion inclusivity in sport.
Alongside the tournament, the governing body has launched its 'Can You Manage?' campaign – a powerful new video initiative featuring para-athletes that challenges public perceptions and aims to inspire greater participation in the sport.
Kelly Aston MBE, CEO of Badminton Wales, said: "This is the first time we've hosted an event of this size.
"We really want to make it a major occasion to showcase that Wales can host events like para-badminton on the world stage."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A school in Cardiff now has a purpose-built esports room
Pupils at a school in Cardiff will be able to play Overwatch 2, League of Legends and Minecraft competitively in schools, as part of a plan to boost their academic, technical, and personal skills which teachers say will help teach transferable skills ready to start their careers. They will be able to use the space, before, during and after school and some will be able to choose esports as an option from year 9. Cardiff council has given Mary Immaculate High School in Caerau, Cardiff, £130,000 to kit out a room with 25 gaming PCs and two Formula 1 simulators. Students can also study esports as part of the Key Stage 4, with a BTEC in esports being offered from Year 9 to pupils who have an attendance record of at least 90%. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here READ MORE: Man found dead in woodland READ MORE: RECAP: A40 re-opens after being shut both ways near Llandeilo Esports is organised, competitive video gaming that can be played at a professional level, watched by millions of people across the world and earn players a large income. The esports industry is rapidly growing as gaming becomes more popular, making £3.5 billion globally, and £184 million in the UK. Adam Speight, acting assistant headteacher at Mary Immaculate, said esports is much more than just gaming. He said: "Esports is opening doors to a wide range of career pathways. "For example, the military is actively recruiting gamers to operate drones, the events industry needs people to organise large-scale esports tournaments, and the technology sector requires IT professionals to build and maintain the infrastructure needed for these events to take place. "We are proud to be one of the first schools in Wales – and indeed the UK – to have a purpose-built facility dedicated to esports. "We recognised the importance of this fast-growing industry and decided it should be part of our curriculum. "We have to move away from thinking about traditional subjects to thinking what careers are out there in the modern world and what contemporary qualifications are available that will give pupils the transferable skills they need for the jobs of the future." As well as being an extra-curricular area for pupils, the main aim is to support learning in areas such as teamwork, communication, strategic thinking, digital literacy, and event management. The Esports suite was developed by YoyoTech. Michael Stevens, business development executive at YoyoTech, said: "Esports is a huge area for growth in education. "It's a lot more than teaching pupils how to be a professional gamer; it's teaching them about the industry and everything that goes with it, from digital media creation and social media to marketing and event management."
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rob Whittaker, Bruce 'Shu Shu' Carrington in studio, Dakota Ditcheva, Ateba Gautier and more
Ariel Helwani and the Boys In The Back go live on Uncrowned and YouTube at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT/6 p.m. UK time for Tuesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show." Catch the full rundown below. 1 p.m. ET: Ariel and the gang kick off the show. 1:15 p.m. ET: Robert Whittaker looks ahead to his UFC Abu Dhabi showdown against Reinier de Ridder. 1:45 p.m. ET: Bruce "Shu Shu" Carrington stops by in-studio to preview Saturday's match against Mateus Heita for the vacant WBC interim featherweight title. 2:30 p.m. ET: Dakota Ditcheva returns following her big win at PFL Africa. 3 p.m. ET: Ateba Gautier joins after his highlight-reel knockout of Robert Valentin at UFC 318. Catch all new episodes of "The Ariel Helwani Show" live every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET on Uncrowned and The Ariel Helwani Show's YouTube page. To listen to every episode, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.


Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
How to Watch Stage 16 of the Tour de France on a Free Channel
It's not impossible to find a free channel streaming Stage 16 of the Tour de France. However, you'll likely be bombarded with premium options charging a small fortune. Fortunately, you don't have to give in. In this guide, we'll explain how to watch Stage 16 (featuring the iconic Mont Ventoux climb) online and for free, from anywhere. This method is safe, legal, and lets you enjoy all the remaining stages without spending a cent. Read on. Let's cut to the chase. Have you heard of ITV? It's also called ITVX. ITVX is a video-on-demand streaming service owned by the ITV channel in the UK. It lets you access all ITV channels and watch them live from your home. ITV is a free channel that streams Stage 16 of the Tour de France. The only requirement is a free account, which you can make within seconds. After that, you can watch the race or enjoy other diverse content in Full HD and English. There's a problem: ITV works only in the UK. So, what if you're abroad and want to watch Stage 16 of the Tour de France for free? You'll have to pose as a Brit. You can facilitate this by obtaining a UK IP address. Watch Tour de France With NordVPN If you're still unsure what we're pointing at, let us explain. People online have discovered that VPNs are excellent at unblocking region-locked content. NordVPN is often the most popular option. It's the largest, most robust VPN with many servers in the United Kingdom. NordVPN works by connecting you to a remote server. In turn, your original IP is concealed and swapped for an IP of that server. If the server is in the UK, the user gets a UK IP address. NordVPN works on all devices. Additionally, it offers unlimited traffic and some of the fastest speeds. Users also praise it for ten simultaneous connections and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. The latter is especially important. This allows you to watch Stage 16 of the Tour de France on a free channel and immediately get a refund. Alternatively, you can watch the whole Tour de France race and get a refund after the closure. So, to digress. Get NordVPN, connect to the UK server, and use ITV (ITVX) as if you're actually in Great Britain. This guide explains how to access ITV abroad in detail, so check it out for more information. Before we wrap up, here's another free channel: SBS. To be precise, SBS on Demand is the platform you're looking for. It's an Australian video-on-demand service with full access to the free live stream of Tour de France. Needless to say, Stage 16 will be aired, as well! Like ITV, SBS is region-restricted to its native country: Australia. If you're there, you'll just have to go to SBS, make a free account, and enjoy. Users abroad can use NordVPN to get an Australian IP and use it regularly. SBS is completely free and requires no subscription. However, it's another impeccable option to enjoy Stage 16 to 21 without cost. So, ITV and SBS are there for you. Pick one and tune in to the rocky climb of Mount Ventoux. It'll be an epic battle! Try NordVPN for Free for 30 Days