TALENTED West Fife badminton star Brooke Stalker has ended 2022 in style by picking up another national title and European medals.

The 16-year-old, from Dunfermline, teamed up with Iona Muir to win ladies’ doubles gold at Badminton Scotland’s National Championships, which were held earlier this month.

Competing in the under-19 age group – two years above her own – Brooke and her partner didn’t drop a set in getting through to the final, , where they defeated Katrina Chan and Ishbel McCallister 21-16, 21-18.

Brooke, a previous Scottish under-15 singles, doubles and mixed doubles champion, picked up her latest national title after a successful trip to Sweden in November.

She travelled to Malmö to participate in the Swedish Youth Games, an under-17 tournament, where she won medals in both the ladies’ and mixed doubles.

In the ladies’ event, she partnered with Lila Dundas, from England, to win silver – despite being unseeded – before linking up with another English player, Dillon Chong, for the mixed.

Despite being seeded seventh, the pair managed to win bronze and Brooke, who is now part of Badminton Scotland’s senior development squad, said: “I was unseeded in doubles, and I was seeded seven in mixed, but I never thought I’d get to the semis (in Sweden).

“We put out the number two seeds in the first round (of the ladies’ doubles). I think, because we didn’t have as much pressure on us, we just played, really.

“I’ve never seen us play like that, and it motivated us for the next round. We had the Germans, we won in straight sets, but it moved into a proper European ladies’ doubles; not just a Scottish, smash it through them.

“It was proper long rallies.”

Proud mum Karen revealed that the former Queen Anne High School pupil – who, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, was offered an elite badminton scholarship package to study at The Webber Independent School, in Milton Keynes, which boasts a number of England’s top junior players – revealed the pair knocked out three seeds on their way to the final.

She said it was ideal preparation for the Scottish nationals and Brooke, the niece of late Dunfermline badminton star, and Scotland international, Russell Hogg, continued: “Me and my partner had only played together twice, but we still won, so that was good!

“We won in straight sets, so no-one took a set off us.

“All last season, I lost to a couple of girls, but they’ve not beaten me all this season, so it’s going quite well.”

Brooke, who also trains locally with Bruce Flockhart and Julie Hogg, and volunteers with Disability Sport Fife, has received support from Dunfermline Badminton Association, The Midlands Group and the Russell Hogg Trust to aid her with sponsorship.