Badminton champs eye Gem titles

Trinidad and Tobago junior badminton champions Rahul Rampersad and Nekeisha Blake are highly favoured to capture the Gem Shop Champions Under-19 open singles titles. The inaugural tournament organised by the St Margaret’s Badminton Club gets underway today at the Oxford Club, Padmore Street, San Fernando from 6 pm. Derek Singh, president of the SMBC, disclosed that tournament has attracted the nation’s top junior players who will be vying for cash incentives, trophies and medals donated by The Gem Shop with branches at the Grand Bazaar and West Mall. Singh is the father of former national Under-17 and Under-19 junior champion Vikie Singh who migrated to Canada earlier this year.

But he wants to continue to provide incentives for the other junior players so as to enhance their overall game. The tournament is sanctioned by the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association. Winners will receive The Gem Shop Trophy plus $700 cash and gift vouchers worth $500 each. Runners-up while collect $500 plus $300 gift vouchers while the third place contestants will each be awarded $150 and $150 gift vouchers. All the top participants will receive medals. Reigning national Under-19 champion Rampersad will be the hot favourite to add the overall title to his national crowns.

His major rivals will be national runner-up Justin Sui and Ernesto Dean both of whom have moved up from the Under-17 ranks. On the distaff side, Blake who secured her first national title in the absence of Vikie Singh will be seeking to maintain her supremacy over her opponents including doubles partner Kerry Ann Quan Chee. Preliminaries matches will be staged this weekend while the quarter-finals and semi-finals and finals will be contested next Saturday and Sunday at the same venue.