Badminton: Morgan the Racket seeks action replay of greatest moment

Welsh women's badminton hope targets successful defence of singles title won in Kuala Lumpur

"There's only one Kelly Morgan," said Chris Rees, the Welsh badminton team manager, well aware that there are, in fact, two Kelly Morgans competing at these Commonwealth Games.

There is Morgan of Wales, the 27-year-old sporting icon of her country, who also happens to be the reigning Commonwealth badminton singles champion. She is the British No 1 and a six-times British champion. She has won every national title in Wales for the past 11 years, translating success in the principality to glory on the international stage in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. It was there that she memorably celebrated victory by clambering, Pat Cash-style, up through the stands to embrace her parents, who were reportedly waiting with a cold beer.

Following that success, which saw her become a megastar in badminton-crazy Malaysia, she was voted Welsh Woman of the Year. In 1999 she became the first British woman to rank inside the world's top 10 and then, 12 months later, became the first Welsh woman to represent Great Britain in an Olympics, at the Games in Sydney. Last month, in the Queen's Birthday Honours, she was made an MBE for services to her sport and community, and a patron of the Down's Syndrome Association of Wales. As Rees summed up, unintentionally beatifying his charge in the process: "What with her sport and her patron saint work, she keeps pretty busy."

And then there is Morgan's namesake, the 22-year-old English javelin thrower. It is not hard to see which one matters most to the Land of Song.

What matters to Morgan the Racket is doing her best this summer to repeat what she considers the highpoint of her career to date. "The Commonwealth gold is my biggest achievement," she said as she fine-tuned her preparations ahead of Wednesday's opening matches in her singles event.

"I've been Welsh champion for 11 years, won European medals and represented Great Britain at the Olympics, but the gold I won last time is definitely the highlight. It won't be easy [to win again] but I'm feeling good and looking forward to the competition starting. I'll be going out to give 100 per cent in the defence of my title."

The title was secured in what Rees describes as "crazy" scenes that added up to "quite some experience for everyone involved". The locals regularly mobbed Morgan in the street while the media became such a large and obstructive presence at training that extra security was brought in to keep the press at bay. Ultimately, a blackout was introduced so Morgan could concentrate on the task in hand. "It's a bit less intense in Manchester," Rees laughed, but nobody is underestimating the serious work ahead.

Since Friday, Morgan has already been involved in the mixed team event, which Wales started as the No 4 seeds. She won both her matches for the team on Friday without dropping a single point. One win, against Theresa Tetteh of Ghana, took all of seven minutes and it was followed on Saturday with another easy win over Botswana. Yesterday, Wales met Singapore, with a place at stake in today's semi-finals. Tomorrow sees the nations still involved playing for the mixed team gold.

When the mixed competition is over, Morgan's Commonwealth mission takes on an extra edge. Unlike four years ago, when she was seeded No 1 to win the title she eventually took, this time she has been seeded No 2. The top seed is Lenny Permana, born in Indonesia but representing Australia. Permana's Australian passport came through at the end of May, precisely one day before the Games selection deadline. "Which is very convenient indeed, eh?" said one Welsh insider, echoing a sentiment no doubt held in the Australia camp, which suddenly has its own gold prospect. Morgan herself casts no aspersions, being interested only in her own performance.

"I do feel there is a lot of pressure on me, but I'm going to enjoy every single minute of it and, hopefully, the results will take care of themselves. There's no one that worries me. As long as I'm playing at 100 per cent, I don't care who I play." Assessing the potential dangers, she added: "There is more competition than four years ago. Players from Malaysia and Singapore have improved, the English girls are always a threat as is Aparna Popat [of India, who Morgan beat in the 1998 final] and Lenny Permana."

Morgan first started playing at nine at a local badminton social club in Abercynon. Welsh trials followed only because her brother, Ross, was expected to do well. With their parents keen to escort him to the trials, Kelly went too because she could not be left home alone. Only one of the youngsters made the team and it wasn't Ross.

Later, before a first spell at university, Morgan went to play in France for two years for Lille as a practice player. Success there led in turn to two years in the Danish league. All the time abroad came at a cost to her personal life, not least her relationship with her schooldays boyfriend, Dylan Aspen, an electrician. The spark between them reignited however, and their love story ended happily when they married earlier this year. Between being a newlywed, an international badminton player, a charity figurehead and all-round good egg, Morgan has also been doing a sports degree in Cardiff.

"Hopefully, there will be a lot of Welsh support in Manchester, which is a help," she said, making it clear that the love between idol and nation is reciprocated. "My family are certainly coming to watch." A family for whom, it goes without saying, there is definitely only one Kelly Morgan.