Gordon Thompson playing badminton
NOTHING can stop Gordon Thompson from playing badminton.
The almost 76-year-old started playing when he was 16 and has never had a season off.
“I don’t even like it when it’s school holidays and we take a break then. I hate missing one week,” Thompson said.
He doesn’t think he’ll be giving away the racket any time soon, either, saying he still will be playing for another 10 to 15 years.
“I love shooting, and I love fishing, but I prefer badminton,” he said.
“I just love it.”
Over his 60 years in the sport, he has been involved in all levels of the competition, but now plays in the B grade competition on Monday nights at Ken Kay stadium – a stadium named after a player he once beat.
“We’ve won that many grand finals you couldn’t count them,” Thompson said.
“One year in the veterans, we won the grand final in the singles, doubles and came runner-up in the mixed.”
Only one of his daughters took up the sport seriously. But now she played only occasionally having settled in Melbourne with her family.
“She was really good, but I’m easily a better player,” Thomspon joked.
Many of Thompson’s other family members played socially, but Thompson said no one could beat him.
“I’ve even played two of them and smashed them,” he said.
Thompson admitted his technique had changed as he got older.
“As you get older, you place your shots more,” he said.
“You couldn’t consistently peg it at the opposition.
“I played with a couple of guys who gave it away in their 40s because it was getting too much, but I’ve just kept it up.”