Lauder praise as James hits gold

Shropshire badminton star James Lauder is still on cloud nine after returning from the under-17 Home Countries tournament with a gold medal.

The Market Drayton youngster was a vital part of the England squad that beat all three rivals in Cardiff last weekend.

His contribution in the doubles saw England beat Ireland 7-2, Scotland 9-0 and Wales 7-2 to take the crown.

One of Lauder's finest matches was in the mixed doubles where, in partnership with Alyssa Lim, they beat the top Welsh duo of Kelly Blake and Damien Dodds 21-12 21-14.Lauder, 15, is the first player in Shropshire badminton history to hold the county singles title at every age range from under-14 to under-21.

And he also performed well in the individual events.

Paired with Leicestershire's Nayan Patel, the Wrekin College pupil reached the semi-finals of the boys doubles.

His mother Pauline said James even fought off a bout of illness to play in front of a large crowd in Cardiff.

"It was great to watch and there was a lot of support for Wales, so it was a good atmosphere," she said.

"There were a lot of parents there, so it was super.

"But James returned home and has been off school with tonsillitis and a chest infection."

"Half the team have had the illness as well, but they still won."

But James' latest bout of international glory came at a cost.

An intended smash went wrong and he ended up breaking his racquet on the floor - and was forced to purchase a brand new one for £100.

Pauline explained: "He went for it with a smash and just caught the floor, but he won the point.

"He uses the Yonnex 6000 racquet and he has a couple of them, so it is another £100 out of the bank."

The teenager's latest victory means he is now in contention for a place at the Six Nations championships at Longton in March and even the Junior Olympics in 2009.

James has already been earmarked for more international glory after he shone at last year's England Rising Stars competition for under-16s in Fenton Manor, Stoke.

He won a bronze medal in a tournament specifically designed for the top young talents in the country, and which hopes to develop possible Commonwealth and Olympic Games stars of the future.

He trains twice a week at Birmingham University and his next immediate target is the Nationals Cup event in Denmark next month