Charles Noakes (SH6) captured hearts and history last summer when he won gold on home soil at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. It was a landmark moment for Para badminton in France and the ripple effect continues.
His 21-18, 21-17 victory over Brazil’s Vitor Gonçalves Tavares on the final day of the British & Irish Para Badminton International 2025 in Wales, further cements his commitment to the sport.
“That was a fun final,” Noakes said, reflecting on his win in Cardiff. “It’s always a battle on court, especially physically. Since the Games, I’ve really focused on my mentality. I do breathing exercises before every match to stay calm and relaxed.”
Noakes visualised gold from the very beginning. He talks regularly with his coach, setting clear goals and staying positive. “If you’ve got a dream, you need to make all the efforts to reach it. I want to be world No.1.”
Noakes credits his gold medal in Paris 2024 to the popularity of Para badminton in France.
Since Paris, the world No.2 Frenchmen’s impact has extended far beyond the court as he revealed to BWF: “A lot of people want pictures, want to chat. That happens every day now in France. People are playing badminton more and more. I think the mentality has changed. After Paris 2024, people are more accepting. That’s what we needed.”
The attention has its drawbacks. “There were lots of TV, magazine and radio invitations. It’s good, but it takes a lot of energy. My coach told me, focus on badminton first. To make history, you need to work hard.”
Funding remains a major challenge. “Para badminton costs around 40,000 euros a year. There’s little TV coverage, so it’s hard to attract sponsors. We need companies to invest. This is our job.”
Training in Nantes with his team, Noakes acknowledged the rise in the level of competition in the SH6 category in recent months. As for LA 2028? “It’s my main goal. But first, a holiday. Then I’ll write down my new goals, break habits and stay open minded. That’s how you get better.”
Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan won the SH6 gold medal today after a tough three-game battle against Giuliana Poveda 21-11, 21-23, 21-11. Although the Indian started confidently, Sivan admitted that fatigue and knee pain made the second game more difficult.
“I’m happy because I trained well and felt confident I could win in straight games with a good lead,” she said. “But I made a lot of self-errors and gave points away, which made the third game very close.”
Sivan explained that managing her body was important after a long week of competition. “My legs were tired, and I was pushing to finish in the second game because I knew the third game would be tougher. I still have some pain in my knees that I have to manage.”
The Indian had faced Poveda 11 times before their latest Cardiff encounter and used her experience to prepare. “I know our head-to-head record and watched old matches to develop strategies. That gave me confidence going into the match.”
Sivan (SH6) elated with a win.
What They Said
“It was not a straightforward final. The English pair really pushed us and kept us on our toes. We had to work for every point. We have huge respect for Jack and Rachel.” – Subhan Subhan (SH6) after he and Rina Marlina (SH6) defeated Jack Shephard and Rachel Choong 21-23 21-14 21-11 to claim their first Level 1 title of the year.
“I was not prepared to lose today. This is huge for Para badminton in Nigeria. It’s so important to show people what this sport is about. I’m grateful for the title.” – Mariam Eniola Bolaji (SL3) on claiming her fourth title of the year.
“Two titles are great and I’m happy. I stayed focused and calm. I am quite tired after playing two tough matches.” – Leani Ratri Oktila (SL4)
Oktila (SL4) claimed two titles in Cardiff.
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