Seepaul scores Solo badminton slam

Anil Seepaul and Sabrina Cassie of Cri-Stars Badminton Club, Chaguanas created history and re-confirmed their supremacy when they retained their respective individual singles crown at the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association’s annual Solo National Senior Championships at the Jean Pierre Complex on Thursday night.

Both Seepaul and Cassie were winning the national titles for the fourth and ninth times respectively. Seepaul, 28, displayed tremendous power and greater efficiency in scoring crucial points against his youthful challenger Kerwyn Pantin who has been one of the country’s most improved players in the last two years. And there was no disgrace in the 19-year-old losing the grand final in two straight sets at 15-7 and 15-7. Seepaul also shared the honour in the men’s doubles winning with veteran partner Ronald Clarke. He also re-captured the mixed doubles crown with life-long badminton partner and Cri-Stars clubmate Zeudi Mack.

It was another historic evening for Seepaul who distinguished himself with the unique badminton Solo Triple-Slam for the third time in four years. The Seepaul/Clark tandem pulled off the men’s doubles title from the aggressive Pantin/Jeremy Lewis duo at 15-7 and 17-16. But the highpoint of the finals was the do-or-die effort by the 2002 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games bronze-medallists Seepaul and Mack to wrest back the mixed doubles crown from the Clark and Cassie combination who were deprived of sixth consecutive title last year. After conceding the first set to the Clark/Cassie pair at 15-11, Seepaul exploded with ferocious overhead smashes and whiplash returns and together with excellent service strategy by Mack they raced to a commanding 5-15 in the second game to even the scores. This was the most exciting and tension-filled contest and it was evenly balanced at the midway stage with the scores level at 7-7.

Cassie missed the opportunity of being the triple-champion but had already proven her class and worth with a thrilling 15-8 and 15-6 victory over her women’s doubles partner Zeudi Mack. The aggressive right-handed power player made it her ninth national senior crown and teamed with Mack for her eighth women’s doubles championship crown. They outplayed the Stephanie Mitchell and Nadine Julien pair at 15-8 and 15-6. It was Mack’s tenth national women’s doubles title. All the champions, runners-up and third place finishers were awarded trophies and medals, courtesy Solo Beverages Limited, sponsors of the annual national senior championships.

Solo Honour Roll.
Men’s Champion: Anil Seepaul
Women’s Champion: Sabrina Cassie
Men’s Doubles Champions: Anil Seepaul, Ronald Clarke.
Women’s Doubles Champions: Sabrina Cassie, Zeudi Mack
Mixed Doubles Champions: Anil Seepaul, Zeudi Mack.