Our Team
Dedicated volunteers helping run our club
Our team is what makes our club the best local, friendly, social badminton club in Northwood and Pinner area.
We have a huge pool of talented badminton players who also volunteer to run different aspects of the club.
For details of our first aiders team, click here.
Ashish Patani
Club Founder, qualified Level 2 Badminton England Coach, First Aider and Club Welfare Officer
Ashish founded the Club in 2014, when a small group of friends came together to play badminton on a weekly basis. Soon friends of friends joined in and the Club had gone from strength to strength ever since. The club now had over 200 regular players!
Ashish is a Chartered Accountant by profession, running his own consultancy company, Ashlynwood, focusing on sustainability & training. Ashish holds a Master in Investment Management and has previously worked for global companies like PwC, EY & Citigroup. Ashish has also been a Trustee of a UK national charity with over 20,000 members as well as been a Board Member of an international Trade Organisation.
Outside of Badminton, Ashish enjoys trekking with Bhavni, and together they have climbed Kilimanjro, Africa's highest mountain. Ashish also enjoyed cycling, swimming and dabbles in vegan cooking.
Contact: (M) 07708 753 510 (E) ashish@playbadminton.club
Bhavni Shah
Club Ambassador, qualified First Aider and Club Welfare Officer
Bhavni has always enjoyed played badminton socially, first as a child and then in her teens. Bhavni enjoys being active, attending various classes, from bootcamps, dance classes, boxercise to yoga. Bhavni has learned a lot about the advances of keeping an active lifestyle which help individuals stay healthy, alert, stronger and energetic.
Bhavni is our Club's women badminton ambassador, having set-up monthly sessions for women in January 2022 to encourage more participation by women in the club. The sessions provide a friendly, fun, safe and positive environment. Bhavni's commitment to this has seen the club successfully approved as a supporter of This Girl Can which is a nationwide campaign launched by Sport England.
Bhavni is a Policy Advisor by profession, having over 15 years experience of working a the heart of government as a civil servant within HM Treasury.
Contact: (M) 07966 260 111 (E) bhavni@playbadminton.club
Cyrus Katelie
Club Secretary
I have played social badminton since I was 5 years old. I play in four different clubs throughout the week with a range of players of different standards. I love the social aspects of a good game of badminton but also in improving and helping those around me improve. I also enjoy scuba diving and riding motorbikes in my spare time.
Contact: secretary@playbadminton.club
Ruchi Haria
Social Champion
My name's Ruchi and I'm excited to be joining the badminton team as the official party planner :) I play once a week and I'm hoping to increase this to 2-3 times a week because it's that addictive! I really enjoy playing badminton because it's a great way to get in that exercise and meet new people. (Also, a study has found that playing badminton can increase your lifespan by approximately 6 years :p Disclaimer: Do your own research before taking my word for it). Outside of badminton, I enjoy salsa, live jazz, museums, travelling, art, self-development books and business. I look forward to organising lots of fun events for you and hope you'll join in the fun. It will be a great opportunity to get to know your fellow players on a personal level, make new connections and some great memories.
Jason White
Session Leader & First Aid Champion
I’m in my 50s and I’ve been playing on and off since I was a teenager. I enjoy playing and more recently I’ve got a lot of satisfaction out of encouraging and showing the basics to some of the newer players. I too try to improve my game by learning from others. I’m also first aid trained and look after a couple of sessions per week.
Vijay Behl
Empower Badminton
I have always enjoyed playing badminton socially but never really with the intention of improving my game as I always gave more of my time to other sports. However, badminton has taken a significant importance in my life since my left leg was amputated in July 2019. From feeling like I had no purpose, badminton has given me a new lease of life! I am very fortunate that I was introduced to Play Badminton Club where I have been made to feel extremely welcome! I endeavour to play regularly every Sunday with the aim of improving my game and overall health. I highly recommend badminton to anyone and everyone as it genuinely is an all inclusive sport!
Waseem Herwitker
Competition Co-ordinator
Sports has been an integral part of my life since childhood. My three main sports are football, swimming and of course badminton. I partook in all three both socialy and competitively. I am now proud to be a part of the Play Badminton Club admin team to help organise competitions. Outside of work and sports, I enjoy time with the family, reading, dining out and one of my biggest goals this year is to start playing the guitar again.
Bijal Shah
Vice-Chairperson
At a young age I was introduced to Badminton and have always enjoyed playing for fun and to keep active. I like the commitment of playing regularly with like-minded friendly players. With busy schedules of work and home, badminton allows 'ME' time and is a great workout to get your heart pumping.