Michael Watt (badminton)

Michael Watt
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Northern Irish)
Born27 December 1964[1]
Sport
SportBadminton
ClubAlpha BC, Lisburn
Medal record
Representing  Northern Ireland
Irish Nationals
Gold medal – first place1991–92, 1994, 1996–2000
2002, 2005		singles
Gold medal – first place1987men's doubles

Michael Watt (born 27 December 1964), is a former international badminton player from Northern Ireland who competed at two Commonwealth Games and was an eleven-time champion of Ireland. In 2002 he broke the singles wins record of eight set by James 'Chick' Doyle in 1961 and extended the record to ten.

Biography

Watt was a member of the Alpha Badminton Club in Lisburn.[2] He represented Ulster at provincial level[3] and all-Ireland at international level.[4]

Watt was the one ranked player in Ireland for extended periods of time throughout the 1990s[5] and represented the 1994 Northern Irish team[6] at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada,[7] where he competed in the badminton tournament.[8]

He attended a second Commonwealth Games for the 1998 Northern Irish team[9] at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he competed in two events.[10]

In 1999 he won his seventh national title[11] and in September 1999 he became the Irish national team manager,[12] although he also continued his playing career.[13]

He was an eleven-times Irish champion at the Irish National Badminton Championships, winning the doubles with Eugene McKenna in 1987[14] and the singles ten times.[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ "Smash 'N' Grab". Coleraine Times. 11 December 1996. p. 37. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ↑ "Badminton". Belfast News-Letter. 6 April 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ↑ "Badminton Ulster team". Belfast Telegraph. 25 February 1994. p. 37. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ "Badminton stars off to Holland". Evening Herald (Dublin). 7 April 1994. p. 47. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Michael Watt, Irish Badminton Number One". Banbridge Chronicle. 7 January 1999. p. 31. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Who's going to the Games?". Ireland's Saturday Night. 4 June 1994. p. 16. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "The best ever, says McColgan". Belfast News-Letter. 14 June 1994. p. 39. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Northern Ireland Victoria 1994". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "Hot-shot Bobby misses party". Belfast News-Letter. 16 June 1998. p. 45. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Northern Ireland Kuala Lumpur 1998". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "McGinn and Watt dominate". Irish Independent. 9 February 1999. p. 23. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ "Michael Retires From International Competition". Banbridge Chronicle. 30 September 1999. p. 40. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ↑ "Bruce topping the Irish rankings". Ireland's Saturday Night. 28 December 2002. p. 13. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ↑ "Badminton Ireland National Champions Men's Doubles 1912-Present". Eirball. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "Badminton Ireland National Champions Men's Singles 1912-Present". Eirball. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  16. ↑ "Irish Senior Nationals Winners". Badminton Ireland. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
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