Wed, Jul 15, 2026
Wed, Jul 15, 2026
Badminton coach honoured posthumously for contribution to sport
The work of the late Badminton coach Gokarn Ramdhani was at the weekend recognised by the National Sports Commission, and by extension the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Ramdhani, who was also the long-serving President of the Guyana Badminton Association, suffered a massive heart attack while in Canada in October 2021.
He was 55.
On Sunday at the return at the National Sports Awards at the National Cultural Centre, Ramdhani was honoured posthumously for his contribution to sport development.
His wife Emily Ramdhani was presented with a plaque by Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle.
Gokarn Ramdhani- The Badminton dad who put a premium on his children’s success
A badminton player, a coach, a father, a family man, an advisor, a stickler for being on time, a well-travelled individual, a fun-loving guy and a comedian in his own rights.
The late Ramdhani was more than just someone who was passionate about the importance of having a balance in sport and academics.
But that was his guiding principle as he worked diligently to ensure his children, Narayan and Priyanna, matched their excellence on the badminton court with success in the classroom.
The on-court exploits of Narayan and Priyanna are well documented, having dominated badminton at the local, regional and South American levels, and the siblings are now on a course to enhance their academic prowess.
The pathway to a higher education was created by their father, who secured both of them scholarships in Canada, while they still continued playing badminton.
As fate would have it, it was while residing with his children in Canada that he suffered a massive heart attack in October 2021, passing on two months shy of his 56th birthday.
He was a Council Member of the Guyana Olympic Association and the Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation, the Second Vice-President of the Confederation of Central American and Caribbean Badminton, Owner/Head Coach of Yonex Badminton Club and Head Coach of Olds College in Canada.