Tantum and Elson Win Badminton Doubles Title

Veteran sportsman from Hucknall, Ken Tantum, recently proved that it’s never too late to be your best. With the help of 66-year-old partner Joanna Elson, he became a badminton world champion, also at the age of 66.

Mr Tantum and Ms Elson won the over-65s mixed doubles title in Canada, at the World Senior Championships.

From Ken’s point of view, the best thing about the whole trip was that he didn’t really go with the primary intention to get the gold. He said: “It was great simply to go to Canada and compete. To get a gold medal really does top it off. It is the icing on the cake.”

According to a report in the Hucknall Dispatch, Ken made a tongue-in-cheek promise to buy his friends a round of drinks if he took a medal. He will surely be held to this promise.

Mr Tantum has lived in Hucknall with his wife Cate since 1980 and has played badminton since 1969.

It is only after he turned 45 that Ken started entering badminton competitive games. In this way, Ken is a living demonstration of the human spirit: you are only as old as you feel you are, and there truly are no limits for those who go out and do what they love.

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