THE CURTAINS came down last Sunday on the LENS sponsored 2014 Guyana Darts Association (GDA) National Championships at the Malteenoes Sports Club, which saw the crowning of a new Women’s singles champion.
Hemwattie Amyan took the 501 singles title from her younger sister Rosetta Hiralall, winning 4-0 in the best of seven contest, to be crowned the new Women’s singles champion.
Despite the win, the margin of victory does not give a true picture of what was indeed a keen tussle, as Hiralall just could not hit her doubles to finish games, appearing to be tired, having competed in two other finals, prior to her matchup against Amyan.
Defending Men’s singles champion Sudesh Fitzgerald turned in another brilliant performance to retain his title in another keen contest with Anil Lachman, coming back from 0-2 to win the next five games and take the best of nine contest 5-2.
In the other games played on November 29 and 30, All Stars got the better of Bank of Guyana in the third place playoff in the Team Event, even as the trio of Hiralall/Sherwyn Greene and Lallchand Rambharose took the Triple 701 category from Miguel Ramirez-Merlano/Mary Correia and Delon Correia 3-1.
The third place contest in this category was won by the trio of Fitzgerald/Veronica Seepersaud and Guy Wharton who defeated Nicholas Seetaram/Jean DeSouza/Mark Persaud 2-0.
Men’s Doubles 501 category was awarded to the pair of Fitzgerald and Seetaram, following the disqualification of the other finalists in Anil Lachman and Colin France when France breached the tournament’s rules.
The pair of Andrew Balchand and Chris Fulton, who originally won third place from Wharton and Ravi Budhu 2-0, was elevated to second place with Budhu and Wharton taking third.
In the Women’s Doubles 501 Hiralall and Amyan teamed up to defeat the pair of Melissa Smartt and Natisha Fordyce 3-0, with Jean DeSouza and Mary Correia taking third, while Rambharose and Hiralall teamed up to take the Mixed Doubles 501 3-1 from Miguel Ramirez-Merlano/Mary Correia.
With France’s disqualification still in place, his third place spot in the Mixed Doubles 501 which he took while pairing with Shondell Hyles was awarded to the pair of Smartt and Adrian Damon.
The following incentive prizes were also awarded – Lachman for the highest check-out (139), Rambharose for the shortest game (14 darts) and being the only player to register a maximum throw of180 points, Fitzgerald for scoring a record 75 100s, bettering the 66 he set last year and Hiralall for scoring the most 100s by a woman, 21.
At the presentation ceremony, the GDA president Grantley Culbard thanked LENS for being the new sponsor of the Championship and even recalled the days when the late managing director of LENS, Len Rambharose, was head of the GDA.
It was also announced that France would have to face the disciplinary committee of the GDA to answer several charges of gross misconduct, including threatening Culbard after being cautioned about his misconduct.
