DAY SIX of the Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast held mixed fortunes for Guyana.

Guyana’s top badminton player Narayan Ramdhani made a strong statement at the Commonwealth Games, breezing past Vernon Smeed of St Helena in straight sets.

Playing in his opening match of the Games on Court Three of the Carrara Sports Arena Two, Ramdhani demolished Smeed in the Men’s singles Round of 64.

Ramdhani, who is currently on a five-year scholarship in Canada, stunned his opponent 21-6, 21-8, the match lasting a mere 19 minutes. The Guyanese will next face Jason Ho-Shue of Canada in the Round of 32 today.

RIFLE SHOOTING
Lennox Brathwaite and Ronsford Goodluck finished 11th overall when the Queen’s Pairs Prize Final concluded yesterday.

Competing at the Belmont Full Bore Range, the Guyanese ended the two-day Pairs competition with 563 points and 48 Vs. Brathwaite had 284 points and 23 Vs, while Goodluck managed 279 points and 25 Vs.

Brathwaite shot 49:5 at the 300-yard, 50:5 at 500, 47:4 at 600, 72:6 at 900 and 66:3 at 1000, while Goodluck had 50:6 at 300, 49:6 at 500, 48:3 at 600, 65:4 at 900 and 67:6 at 1000. Those numbers were enough to make the Guyanese the top Caribbean shooters at the Pairs event.

England’s Parag Patel and David Luckman copped gold with 584 points and 61 Vs; Chris Watson and Gareth Morris of Wales took silver with 582 points and 58 Vs, while Scotland’s Alexander Walker and Ian Shaw won bronze with 582 points and 49 Vs.

Brathwaite and Goodluck will be in action again today when day one of the Queen’s Prize Individual competition is contested.

TRACK AND FIELD
South American gold medallist, Winston George, had a tough outing in the 200 metres, finishing fourth in Heat Seven with a time of 21.19s, which was not good enough to advance to the next round.

This will bring to an end, George’s participation at the Games after he was also unable to get into the final of the Men’s 400m by finishing seventh in the semi-final with a time of 47.25s.

Meanwhile, Natricia Hooper finished eighth in the Women’s triple jump final with a personal best (PB) distance of 13.15 metres. Hooper, who is a CARIFTA triple jump gold medallist, will also end her performance with the jump at the Games.

Hooper’s older sister, Natrena, was also a part of the event and finished 11th with a season’s best of 12.62 metres. However, Natrena will also compete in the Women’s high jump final later this week.

Emmanuel Archibald had a tough outing in the Men’s long jump, recording a leap of 7.24 metres to finish ninth in the Men’s Group ‘B’ qualifying round.

Guyana has a few more chances to vie for medals with Leslain Baird in the Men’s javelin final, Troy Doris in the Men’s triple jump final and (Natrena) Hooper to compete in the Women’s high jump final. All three events are scheduled for April 14.