The All-England that was Won with a Racket with Two Shafts

Sondico BX4000 Twinshaft Racket

Photo: – Geoff Hinder                                                                                                                                           Click on images to enlarge

At the 1978 All-England Championships Gillian Gilks MBE (England) would win the woman’s singles title with a Sondico BX4000 twinshaft racket. Gillian had previously won the All-England woman’s singles title in 1976 when she completed the triple, also winning the woman’s doubles and the mixed doubles. Her All-England winning career started in 1969 at the age of 18 when she won the mixed doubles with Roger Mills (England). Gillian Gilks would win a total of 11 All-England titles, 2 x singles, 3 x woman’s doubles and 6 mixed doubles over a 15-year period.

The 1978 victory would make her the last Englishwoman to win the All-England singles title.

The Sondico BX4000 racket weighs 127.5 grams, a modern graphite racket weighs approximately 104 grams.

For more information on the history of the All-England Badminton Championships go to – Homepage – History – Events –  ‘The History of the All-England Badminton Championships’ on this website.

This racket and many more can be seen at the National Badminton Museum, National Badminton Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, MILTON KEYNES MK8 9LA

Visitors are welcome to look around the Museum unescorted at any time – the National Badminton Centre is normally open 9am to 8pm every day.

National Badminton Centre 

Lodge Hotel

For more information and to book a room go to: – Badminton England website – https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk  –  National Badminton Centre  – National Badminton Centre Hotel.

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1899 – 2024

125th Anniversary Championships

2024 YONEX ALL-ENGLAND BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

Tuesday 12 March to Sunday 17 March 2024

Utilita Arena, Birmingham.

For more information:- www.allenglandbadminton.com

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If you have any badminton memorabilia, archive material, or any other items and would like to donate them to the National Badminton Museum please contact us at: –

 museum@badmintonengland.co.uk

Thank you to all the ‘Friends of the Museum’ and people who have made donations to the National Badminton Museum, your support enables us to purchase extremely rare badminton artefacts for the National Collection as they become available.