Mark Topping

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Mark Topping
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Northern Irish)
Born7 December 1965[1]
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Sport
SportBadminton
ClubAlpha BC, Lisburn
Medal record
Representing  Northern Ireland
Irish Nationals
Gold medal – first place2000–01, 2003–05men's doubles

Mark Topping (born 7 December 1965), is a former international badminton player from Northern Ireland who competed at the Commonwealth Games and was a five-time champion of Ireland.

Biography

Topping graduated with a Business Studies degree at the University of Portsmouth in 1994 and represented Hampshire at county level.[2] He then represented Ulster at provincial level[3] and the all-Ireland team at international level, making his debut in the 1994 Thomas Cup.[4][5]

Topping specialised in doubles play and partners included his brother Bruce Topping in the men's doubles and Nikki Lane in mixed doubles.[6] He played for the Alpha Badminton Club in Lisburn[7] but later moved to Dublin.[8] In 2001 he was ranked number one in Ireland in doubles with his brother Bruce[9] and in 2003 won two titles in the Autumn Open Championships in Dublin, winning the men's and mixed doubles.[10]

Topping represented the 2006 Northern Irish team[11] at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, where he competed in doubles events.[12]

He was a five-time Irish champion at the Irish National Badminton Championships, winning the men's doubles in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.[13][14]

References

  1. "Mark Topping". Badminton Ranks. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  2. "Historic win for Ireland". Portsmouth Evening News. 23 December 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Topping romps into final". Ireland's Saturday Night. 29 October 1994. p. 5. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "Historic win for Ireland". Evening Herald (Dublin). 16 January 1999. p. 46. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Mark's first". Belfast Telegraph. 4 February 1994. p. 33. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Tolerton grabs hat-trick of titles". Belfast Telegraph. 31 October 1994. p. 22. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Alpha Club Championships". Ulster Star. 14 April 1995. p. 53. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Jordanstown Northern stars". Evening Herald (Dublin). 9 March 2006. p. 91. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "Bruce topping the Irish rankings". Ireland's Saturday Night. 28 December 2002. p. 13. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Badminton". Belfast Telegraph. 29 September 2003. p. 29. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "N Ireland Commonwealth Games team". BBC Sport. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  12. "Northern Ireland Melbourne 2006". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  13. "Badminton Ireland National Champions Men's Doubles 1912-Present". Eirball. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  14. "Irish Senior Nationals Winners". Badminton Ireland. Retrieved 24 March 2026.