-Work now begins on helping junior transition
NATIONAL Badminton Coach Akili Haynes says the Guyana Badminton Association is content with the four medals at the recent CAREBACO Jr Cup in Barbados.
The tournament saw Guyana’s young racquet wielders showing their skills against the best at the junior age categories in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.
He said the success was made even sweeter by the performance of the under-11 athletes who showed great maturity and poise while playing good opposition.
“To achieve four medals especially in the under-11 because the previous year we had not won many medals in the under-11, so to come back this year to achieve medals, I’m happy about that, we got one medal in the under-19 we could have done more but the competition was really at a high level,” he said.
Haynes outlined what next for the team in the coming weeks and months.
“The main thing is to get some of our junior players to transition to the senior, get them playing more tournament to gain ranking points, we have a few tournament at the end of the year, Suriname international, Trinidad international, we want to go and perform that is the main thing as well as getting a coach to do some partnership and work with us, train and get high quality knowledge for the players within the next year.”
Guyana’s Mishka Beharry picked up bronze in the Mixed Doubles under-19, after reaching the semifinals with Jamaican Daniel ford.
In the U-11 Boys doubles, Liam Brumell captured bronze with Joel Rambirichie.
Rambirichie also took bronze in the U-11 Singles category.
The Guyana contingent also included Anjaneysa Godette, Ruel Rambiriche, Leshaunte Berkley, Joanathan Debidin, Yonneil Benjamin, and Christopher Jordan most of whom reached the quarter final stage in several category.
The team was coached by Haynes and Nkosi Beaton.