The AJ Bell National Badminton League (NBL) reaches a thrilling finale at the Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham on Sunday.
The conclusion to the AJ Bell NBL’s second season will see back-to-back Play-Offs and a Championship Final as Team Derby seek to defend their title in an all day badminton extravaganza.
Finals Day will once again bring its ground-breaking rules to the Barclaycard Arena, with Power9 scoring, quick-fire action, PowerPlay’s, time-outs and sudden death tie-breaks offering fans a day to remember.
Loughborough Sport won all five of their match-nights in the regular season to head into AJ Bell NBL Finals Day – The Ultimate Smashdown – as the unbeaten form side.
Loughborough Sport will face Team Derby in a repeat of last year’s final, while University of Nottingham take on Birmingham Lions in the second Play-Off.
“We’ve got high expectations and we’ve got every intention of going there and winning,” said Loughborough Sport’s doubles specialist Lauren Smith.
“It would be massive to go there and win it. We just missed out last year by really small margins which was disappointing but we really showed what we can do.”
Surrey Smashers and Milton Keynes Badminton failed to make the cut on a dramatic final match-night of the regular season.
The AJ Bell NBL will expand across the UK from six to eight franchises for the first time next year when Suffolk Saxons and Bristol Jets join the league.
Who will be last team standing at the Ultimate Smashdown?Tickets are still available for Finals Day here.
Report courtesy of Badminton England.
