Success stories from this year s Comet Sports Awards have continued to enjoy a fine 2008. The Paul Pearce Disability Award winner Gobi Ranganathan from Stevenage was a triple gold medallist in the Four Nations Disabled Badminton Championships in Glasgow.

Success stories from this year's Comet Sports Awards have continued to enjoy a fine 2008.

The Paul Pearce Disability Award winner Gobi Ranganathan from Stevenage was a triple gold medallist in the Four Nations Disabled Badminton Championships in Glasgow.

He won the men's singles, men's doubles, mixed wheelchair category doubles and was runner-up in the demonstration final.

The men's singles saw him win the group, which was in a round robin format, by winning all his matches.

In the men's doubles, he won the final with doubles partner Ryan MacDonald (Scotland) against the English pair of Paul Williams and Owen Kilburn.

They won by two games to nil with the scores 21-5 and 21-8 to retain the title won last year in Cardiff.

The wheelchair doubles saw the pair win the group by winning all their matches. The scores were 21-15, 21-18, and 21-10.

These results effectively make Gobi the British and English number one in the BMW3 category.

And he also took part in a demonstration match but was runner-up to his doubles partner MacDonald, losing two games to one.

His next assignment is the European Championships in Dortmund, Germany, at the end of May (22-25).

He will be taking part in the men's singles, men's doubles (with MacDonald), and mixed doubles (Paula Robinson).

Gobi said: "Thank you to all those who've helped and supported me; I couldn't have done it without your help.

"In particular to Stevenage Grange Rotary Club, and Fujitsu for their financial contribution.

"And also to David Lloyd Leisure (Tracy Lewis) on the Stevenage Leisure Park, and the Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre (Jon Stone, Allan Prescott and Geoff Caine) for giving me complimentary use of their facilities to train."

Martin Townsend from Hitchin - a double finalist at this year's awards - was head coach of the Great Britain target rifle team which toured South Africa.

Leader and captain of the British team was Steven Thomas, formerly of North Mymms.

Team members won many of the individual competitions including the Grand Aggregate, the aggregate of the entire week's shooting, the South African Championship and the State President's Prize.

The team was delighted to win both international matches and the coveted Protea International Team Match in particular.

All efforts centred on this one match in Bloemfontein as the most prestigious to be held in South Africa. Great Britain won the match, by just six points, for the first time in more than 20 years -

GB 1765.185v

SA 1759.160v

Match conditions comprised a dozen shooters firing over 300m, 600m and 900m.

The Veteran Achievement award winner Mick Barr from Knebworth is chairman of the Herts Rifle Association (HRA).

He was in the States around the same time but was less successful in rifle matches comprising the Californian State Championships.

Barr admitted: "I did more for the USA economy by way of wine and beef stocks, than bringing home the silverware!