Teesside will welcome some of the country’s best players this weekend in the Tees Valley-Yorkshire Senior Gold with the England’s number one set to compete.

Fontaine Chapman, England’s top ranked women’s singles player, will take to the court in Thornaby in the last event in the top level of the Badminton England circuit this season.

Teesside’s Josh Young, ranked ninth nationally, is the top seed in the men’s singles draw with four of England’s top 15 entered.

Tournament referee Roger Cook said: “I tell you what, you will see some high standard badminton, there is no doubt about that.

“You will also see a lot of close matches, I’m hoping a lot of three enders, and you might see some very tired players by the end of the day.”

25-year-old Chapman is ranked 64th in the world and Cook said he was pleased the English number one would be competing at the Thornaby Pavilion on Saturday.

He added: “When I saw her entry form I thought yeah that’s great!”

Young, 22 and from Marske-by-the-Sea, will lead the local challenge in the event and is looking for his first win on the Senior Gold circuit.

He said: “Of the top four seeds, I’ve beaten every one of them before.

“It just depends how it goes on the day really they can beat me I can beat them.”

Young added: “It puts a bit of pressure on but I like being top seed.

“I played well here last year. It’s nice to be on home turf and you don’t have to travel far and I think quite a lot of local league players will come to watch as well and support.”

Referee, Cook, who is also Teesside Badminton Performance Centre treasurer, Tees Active League Secretary and Tournament Referee of a number of local tournaments , believes it’s good for the area to have a Teessider challenging for the title.

“The interesting thing is, this week I was looking at the local tournament results since 2004 and there was one tournament, maybe Under-11, when Josh Young wasn’t the winner, and the lads name I don’t remember, but I just wondered if that lad is still playing and what level he is at.”

Cook added: “A lot of these players here (Teesside Performance Centre) are technically better than Josh was at their age.

“So yes it is good. We keep saying to these players here that technically you are better at your age than Josh was, so work hard and that’s what it is all about.”

This year is the second year the event will be held on Teesside, and Cook said he hosts the tournament to benefit the region’s young players and hopes they’ll take up the chance to watch top class badminton.

“This is what really bugs me, the kids are going to tournaments and as soon as they are knocked out, they go, they leave, they don’t see the best players playing semi-finals and finals.

“They don’t look and think that’s what I’ve got to do to get to that level, because they’re not here to see it, so when we’re here saying to them you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that, they have nothing to compare it to.

“Why do you think Joe Bloggs is winning the Under 17 Silver? Technically he’s as good as you, but it’s because of his movement skills, or his determination, or his never say die attitude, but the kids won’t see it that way.”

Despite the entry of Chapman in the women’s singles event, just six players will compete for the title with no other player within England’s top 30.

Cook said: “Don’t forget, if we had a good entry we would have offered double the prize money of other events, because of the sponsorship we get through Integral Collection.

“We thought boost the prize funds and you’d attract the players but for some unknown reason that hasn’t happened, whether it’s because we’re too far north – I don’t know, I really don’t know.”

Play will begin at 9:30am on Saturday April 11 with semi-finals and finals scheduled for the afternoon and early evening at Thornaby Pavilion.