NATIONAL Under-13 champion Priyanna Ramdhani adorned herself in glory last Saturday at the just concluded Pan American Junior Badminton Individual Championships, held in Kingston Jamaica, winning for herself and country, a bronze medal in the Mixed Doubles category. Ramdhani teamed up with El Salvador’s Pedro Vasques to defeat Clayton Cayen and Charise Chow of the USA 21-13, 21-14, in the Under-11 Mixed Doubles category on the fourth day of the championships which attracted teams and players from 17 countries.
Apart from Guyana, the other countries participating in the tournament were Canada, USA, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Ecuador and host Jamaica.
Guyana’s overall performances in the tournament were as follows: Priyanna Ramdhani   (U-11) – Semi-Finals (Mixed Doubles), Quarter-Finals (Girls’ Doubles). Christopher Camacho (U-11) – Quarter-Finals (Singles and Doubles). Narayan Ramdhani (U-15) – Quarter-Finals (Doubles). Kevin Quaicoe (U-17).
Round 2 (Singles and Mixed Doubles). Greer Jackson (U-17). Round 2 (Singles and Mixed Doubles) Avinash Odit (U-19). Round 2 (Singles). Nicholas Ali (U-19). Round 2 (Singles). Christopher Persaud (U-19). Round 2 (Mixed Doubles). Tricia Ramjit (U-19) Round 2 (Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles).
The junior team returned to Guyana yesterday without Narayan Ramdhani and Quaicoe, who remained to attend the 2011 Junior Pan Am Academy in Jamaica, while national badminton coach Gokarn Ramdhani will be attending the Pan Am Coaches Conference in Jamaica, August 1-3.
Next on the agenda for the national Junior Team, is the Caribbean Regional Badminton Championships (CAREBACO) which will be held in Barbados from August 27 to September 4 this year.
The Guyana team was sponsored by: Prittipaul Singh Investments, Da Silva Optical, C&V Shipping, Rent-A-Tent, North American Resources, Republic Bank Ltd, House of Optics, Industrial Safety Supplies and Noble House Seafoods Limited.
Also showing their support were Toolsie Persaud Ltd, Digicel, Lance Hinds and Associates, Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services, Ogle Airport Inc., GOA, National Sports Commission, Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport, NCP Future-Ad, Paul Braam, Hand-in Hand, Bounty Farm, Wings Aviation Limited, Ernesto Choo-A-Fat, Christopher Lawrence and Yonex Badminton Club.