Ballinabranna's Badminton Becky named 'Young Woman of the Year'

A young Carlow sportsperson was honoured on the national stage last week as Becky Hughes was named ‘Young Woman of the Year’ at the 2025 Badminton Ireland Awards.

The 19-year-old from Ballinabranna is a member of Carlow YM Badminton Club, where, as well as playing, she coaches twice a week, and despite her youth also serves as club secretary.

Becky was part of the Carlow team that won the Grade 2 All-Ireland U19 Badminton Championships last year in Limerick before moving up to Grade 1 badminton this season.

Since joining the club at six years old, Becky has woven herself into the very fabric of Carlow YM, receiving significant praise this week from two of her coaches – themselves iconic figures in Carlow sport - Sylvia Campion and Willie Stevenson.

“Becky is a wonderful young woman who is 100% invested in our club,” Campion said. “Her boundless energy, laughter and willingness to do whatever it takes to make the Carlow YM as successful as it can be is to be commended.” 

Becky’s role at the club changes on an almost daily basis. On Tuesday nights, she can be found coaching the club’s juniors (4-12), while on Saturday’s she takes over the coaching of the teenagers (13-18).

“On top of all that, she's the secretary of the club; at 19 years of age as well, which would be unheard of,” Stevenson said.

“There's quite a bit in that, when it comes to badminton Ireland,” Campion noted. “Administering renewals, club subscriptions, communications for the club with the various leagues.” 

Becky still finds time to play the game three times a week, working on her own skills while playing competitively on two different teams, with Stevenson saying she is “absolutely brilliant” to coach.

“She's completely open to coaching,” Campion added. “She's all the time trying to learn. During the summer we would have done a lot of the hard graft, which would be the likes of footwork drills, fitness drills and stuff that is not very sexy and it's not much fun. But she's there for all of that, she still does all that work.

“And if she's not playing badminton, she's watching it; she's watching tutorials on how to improve a shot, how to improve footwork. So, if you talk about the ideal person to coach, that’s her. She'll go and support teams that she's not involved in - just to watch them, you know, to see how they get on.” 

Not content with playing, coaching, supporting and administrating, Becky is on also both the club’s Social Committee and Selection Committee, and is described by Campion as a “fund-raiser extraordinaire”, helping the club to improve facilities at every opportunity.

“If there's anything needs to be done, she's just in the thick of it,” Campion continued. “She was one of four teenagers who gave up their time during the summer to paint the inside of the building. She organises fancy dress for all the key dates, at Halloween, Christmas and St Patrick’s Day, every year for our youngest members.

“I certainly cannot think of any other 19-year-old that would give so much of her personal and social time to be as invested and interested in their Badminton Club for the greater good.

“She's the life and soul of the club.” 

Becky’s award comes in a successful year for the sport of badminton itself in this country, with Badminton Ireland selected as National Governing Body of the year at the Irish Sport Industry Awards in May.