Badminton might just continue to 100 years

For one Bedfordview senior citizen, enjoying the golden years of her life means only one thing – continue playing the sport.

Rhona Fuller is showing no signs of letting up as she continues making headway in the sport of badminton.

The 75-year-old retired educator competed in her fourth consecutive badminton tournament, lining up at the 2018 South African Diamond Eagles Open Championships and Inter-provincial/ Allocated Teams Tournament in Port Elizabeth from November 5 to 9.

Playing for Southern Gauteng Southerns, Fuller swung her way to a gold medal in the ladies’ singles of the 70-plus age category and had a chance to make it two golds. However, she fell just by a whisker in the ladies doubles where she and her partner lost the final by a single point.

Speaking of her path through the sport, Fuller said it is a sociable sport that has offered her a world of enjoyment for more than 25 years.

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“It’s most enjoyable because we’re all friends from hundreds of years ago,” joked Fuller.

“I’ve been fortunate so far as I got South African call-ups most of the time, even once playing against England. I was also fortunate enough to be part of the Southerns team that won the tournament in Port Elizabeth against three other provinces.”

Fuller said she looks forward to playing for many more years to come, drawing inspiration from others who are much older than her but who remain active athletes in the sport.

“There are 90-plus who still play, and that for me is enough to see me continue playing for as long as possible, even to the point where I’m 100-years-old.”