Tambourelli

[1][2] It has since spread all over the world, with small communities of players running active clubs in England, Scotland, Germany, Japan and Sweden.

The fundamental aim is for players to stop the shuttlecock from landing within the court on their side of the net.

There is an annual World Tambourelli Championship, as well as numerous Open Tournaments throughout the year such as in Dresden every September or Hamburg every January.

[4] There is an annual World Tambourelli Championship, which originally took place exclusively in Dumfries and Galloway in Southwest Scotland.

Before 1991 there was generally also separate Men's and Women's Singles though the main emphasis in the tournaments was on the Mixed Doubles competition.

The format of the tournament can vary depending on the number of participants and the availability of time and space, as well as the preferences of the hosts.

In the Mixed Doubles category pairings have traditionally been decided by drawing names out of a hat.

However, these vary from year to year in several ways: sometimes (usually in Devon) there is simply an under-14s singles and doubles tournament, sometimes there are multiple age groups and separate boys/girls tournaments, and sometimes the Under 16s World Tambourelli Championships take place at a different date and entirely different venue to the World Tambourelli Championship, such as in 2008 when the main WTC took place on Riverford Farm in Devon but the Under 16s tournament took place in Newton Stewart in Scotland.

In 2023 there were strict age limits such that players over 40, including the defending champion Anja Lund, were not permitted to enter the over-18 category.

The final was also the first match in which Bazil Hughes lost in 2 straight games since the same tournament in 2010 against Liam Campbell.

Women's Singles Jasmine Bosenick won her third World Tambourelli Championship title, winning every game on her way to a convincing victory.

With this win Bazil Hughes claimed his 4th title, taking him to 2nd on the all-time list (after Malcolm Heyes on 7, although it is believed that Andy Priestman has more victories than his official tally of 3).

Women's Singles Katrin Ueberfuhr won her first World Tambourelli Championship title, coming out of her group in 2nd place but adjusting to the conditions and winning her semi-final and final matches in impressive fashion.

[7] Men's Singles Marco Zink defeated Bazil Hughes 11–10 in the third-set tie-breaker to clinch his first World Tambourelli Championship title in dramatic fashion.

Marco Zink was the second successive German Men's Singles champion, after Sebastian Rose took home the title the previous year.

This ended a streak of 5 consecutive Scottish champions, and announced Tamburello Dresden as the new top dogs of the competitive scene.

Women's Singles Jasmine Bosenick defeated Gabriele Rose in the final, winning her 2nd (and 2nd consecutive) World Tambourelli Championship title.

Finn Lennartsson's run was one of the most memorable in Tambourelli history: he came through a razor-tight tie-breaker against Jason Littlefield to escape his group, defeated one of the favorites and Tambourelli greats Malcolm Heyes 2–1 in his quarter final, and defeated another former champion and favorite Daniel Francis-Bernson 2–1 in his semi-final.

However the fairytale run came to an end in the final, played late at night in brutally cold conditions, when the defending champion Bazil Hughes wrapped up a dominant tournament with a decisive 2–0 victory.

With this victory Bazil Hughes became the first player since Malcolm Heyes in 2006 to defend his Men's Singles title.

Women's Singles Jasmine Bosenick won her first World Tambourelli Championship title, ending perhaps the most impressive streak in competitive tambourelli history by becoming the first female player to defeat Indy Lennartsson (née Priestman) in recorded history.

In the final, Malcolm Heyes started strongly and reached the brink of victory in the first game with a lead of 19 points to 15.

However this feat may have occurred multiple times pre-2009 - no accurate records of the individual matches played exist.

Women's Singles Indy Priestman defeated Anne Larische to win an unprecedented 10th World Championship title.

Women's Singles Indy Priestman defeated Jasmine Bosenick to win her 9th World Championship title.

[7][13] The Doubles was won by Ezra Cohen & Seth Priestman[14] Men's Singles Bazil Hughes defeated the defending champion Liam Campbell in the semi-finals and tambourelli's most-decorated champion Malcolm Heyes in the final to win his first World Championship title.

Women's Singles Stacey Duff defeated Dilushi Jayasingha in the final to win her first World Championship title.

[7][15] The Doubles was won by Jack Higginson and Saul Woollacott[15] Men's Singles Liam Campbell, who was reigning under-16s World Champion and had only just turned 16, produced perhaps the most dominant Men's Singles tournament in tambourelli history to take the World Championship title in his first attempt.

Not only did he win every game in the tournament - a first since verified records began - he did so in spectacularly dominant fashion.

Women's Singles Indy Priestman defeated Stacey Duff in the final to win her 8th World Tambourelli championship title.

Several tambourelli bats in Newton Stewart circa 2012.
7 Tambourelli bats from c. 2012.
Men's Tambourelli World Champion trophy and plinth