Guyana’s top male and female badminton players, siblings Narayan and Priyanna Ramdhani, are presently competing in the Pan American Junior Badminton championship in Peru, where apart from the still competition, they have to contend with high altitude conditions.
Playing at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento in the country’s capital Lima, Narayan, seeded number two in the Singles Draw, picked up a muscle injury in his game against Nicholas Reid of Jamaica, which he subsequently loss.
The Guyanese took the first set 21-14 and was leading game two 14-6 when he sustained the injury. Although he continued to brave the injury, Narayan went down 25-23, and subsequently lost the final set 21-13.
Narayan’s coach Gokarn Ramdhani said the player did not enjoy the best of preparations, and had not peaked in training ahead of the competition.
“At these high level tournaments like Pan Am etc., you have to be fully prepared, especially when you have to play at the very highest level against work ranked players in the Under-19 events,” the coach explained.
Despite the injury, Narayan still took to the court to partner his sister Priyanna in the Mixed Doubles, which they lost 21-11, 21-11 to the Jamaican pair Sane Wilson and Alana Bailey.
Meanwhile, Priyanna, a four-time Pan Am medallist, started in great form by winning her first round matches in both the Under-15 Girl Singles and Girls Doubles. In the Girls Singles, she defeated Beien Trocoso of Chile 21-11, 16-21, 21-16, while in the Girls Doubles, she reached the quarter-finals, teaming up with Sara Michelle Barrios Chiong of Guatemala, to defeat Andera Flores and Ariana Airi Moromisato of Peru 21-12, 21-8.
The two players participation in the tournament was made possible with support from the Guyana Olympic Association, National Sports Commission, Yesu Persaud of Demerara Bank, Philip DaSilva, Neville Osman and Continental Group of Companies.
Cover photo caption: Narayan Ramdhani in action against Jamaican Nicholas Reid in the Singles competition
