THE Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) recently visited Region Two (Essequibo Coast) to introduce and demonstrate Badminton to three secondary schools in the area.

Aurora Secondary, Abram Zuil Secondary, and Anna Regina Multilateral were the three schools visited; donating equipment through the Shuttle Time Programme to promote and develop Badminton in Guyana.
The Shuttle Time Programme, introduced to some schools in the Berbice Region in 2019 had a follow-up done in 2023 producing athletes who compete in the GBA tournaments.

The GBA President Emily Ramdhani expressed pleasure with the progress made.
“In 2023 during the National Junior Tournament sponsored by the National Sports Commission in his remarks the Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle challenged the GBA Executives to take the sport of Badminton to Region Two.

“The GBA is happy to report that the challenge was accepted and the Shuttle Time Programme was implemented in Cinderella County. We will now follow up with the PE teachers, visit to the schools and assist with equipment whenever we can,” informed Ramdhani, the mom of Guyana’s top players, Priyanna and Narayan.

“We hope to do a similar programme like the one we are doing in Berbice, in Region Two. The PE teachers there were very happy that we were there for the kids to be exposed to another sport.
“Cricket is the number one sport in Essequibo and we want to give the kids more options and try something different. We have shared some of the Shuttle Time Videos and manuals that they can use. Hopefully it can take in the Essequibo Coast schools like it did in Berbice.”

In 2012 BWF launched Shuttle Time to the world. A school’s badminton programme supports the principle that children should lead a healthy and active life, both in and out of school.
BWF’s goal is to make badminton one of the world’s most popular and accessible school sports.

Shuttle Time offers school teachers access to resources, training and equipment, which support the teaching of enjoyable, safe and inclusive badminton activities to children aged 5-15 years old.
Shuttle Time lessons are designed to provide children with a positive image of badminton through many opportunities to have fun, engage with others and experience success.

Shuttle Time is currently being implemented in more than 140 countries in partnership with BWF’s Continental Confederations and Member Associations.
Special thanks to Mr Saeed Zameen, Mr Nicholas Fraser of the Allied Arts Department of the Ministry of Education, and the Principals and PE Teachers of the Schools, for making this activity a success.

The equipment was handed over to the PE Teachers by the members of the GBA.
Senior National Badminton players Priyanna Ramdhani, Akili Haynes and Nkosi Beaton taught the students a few drills to improve their technique on the court. (Sean Devers)