TOP players from across the country will be aiming to make net gains this weekend as a prominent badminton competition returns to West Fife.

A Scotland international, and a local national title-winner, will be among the names that will take to the court at Carnegie Leisure Centre for the Babolat Dunfermline Badminton Championships.

Organised by Dunfermline Badminton Association, the competition is set to be popular, with the number of entries received being the largest for a number of years, particularly in the women’s events

Those will include Brooke Stalker, 16, who we reported in last week’s Press Sport had teamed up with Iona Muir to win under-19 doubles gold at Badminton Scotland’s National Championships.

The talented teenager, who is the niece of late Dunfermline star, and former Scotland international, Russell Hogg, also picked up silver and bronze medals in the doubles and mixed doubles at the Swedish Youth Games, an under-17 competition, and she will be looking for success in both disciplines at her home competition.

Brooke and her partner, Jodie Harris, will be hoping to go one better than their runners-up position from last year in the women’s doubles, which has attracted a good entry.

Rachael MacDonald and Lynette Pollock will fly the flag for local clubs, while Scotland international Sophie Ford will team up with the experienced Kirsten Berry.

In the mixed doubles, Brooke will play alongside Angus Meldrum, with other notable pairs in the draw including last year’s runners-up, Mark and Shona Mackay, who will travel from Thurso in an attempt to take the title, and Kenneth Cheung and Jodie Harris.

The men’s singles has been restricted to 32 entries, with a reserve list, and current Scottish internationalist, and top seed, Callum Smith will be seeking to defend his title.

The second seed is Ganesh Balaji, a newcomer to the event, while there is a return to the championships for Calum Menzies 10 years on from winning the last of his three titles.

Queen Anne High School’s Dylan Lawrence, and Andrew Savage, now a student at Dundee University, are the West Fife players to watch out for.

Ford is the top seed for the women’s singles, which will be contested by 18 players, and she will aim to improve on her run to the semi-finals in 2022.

Her main opposition is likely to come from regular competitor Basia Grodynska, while junior player Muir will be seeking to make an impression.

West Fife siblings Calum and Andrew Flockhart will compete in the men’s doubles, alongside Fraser Sheriff and Daniel Harris respectively, where the top seeds are Cheung and Callum Crangle, who contested the 2022 final as opponents.

Singles and doubles matches, to the semi-finals, will be played on Saturday, beginning at 8.45am on both days, with the remainder on Sunday from 2pm.

Entry for spectators is free.