Junior badminton smashers on show

Rahul Rampersad, Kelly-Ann Sampson, Justin Sui and Vickie Singh are hot favourites for national junior titles when the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association stage the Solo National Junior Championships at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena tonight.

Over 100 of the top racquet wielders have entered this year’s championships and will be vying for places on the national junior team, for the annual Caribbean Badminton Championships (CAREBACO) to be held in July. Joseph Charles Bottling Company Limited, makers of Solo Beverages, will once again sponsor all the trophies, medals and prizes for the national junior champions. Rampersad, of Presentation College, Chaguanas, held centre stage at the Under-15 and Under-17 levels. And with his recent form, he intends to capture the Under-19 title. His main rival will be schoolmates Earnesto Dean, Justin Sui and Kaheer Khan; Sangre Grande’s Waldo Alexander and North Eastern College’s Kerron Garcia. Sui is expected to dominate the Under-17 age group with his challengers coming from colleagues  Dean, Kiran Sankar and Kasheer Khan.

Sui and Dean will be an imposing pair for the Under-17 doubles title while Under-19 doubles crown will be attract stiff competition from Rampersad and his partner as well Sui and Dean, Javid Deen and Deepak Ramdath who together won the juvenile competition title. Mitra Ramcharran is expected to rule the roost in the Under-15 Division. He has been the dominant player in this Division and the “Pres” Chaguanas player will be out to maintain his grip on his rivals. Dove Jailal, Anil Bhagwandeen and Insaf Hosein, all from his school, are the ones to push him all the way to the title match. The foursome will undoubtedly turn back any challengers for the Under 15 doubles crown.

On the distaff side, Sangre Grande Junior Secondary’s Kelly-Ann  Sampson is highly favoured to take the Girls Under-19 singles title. Her major opponent will be her schoolmates Nekisha Blake and Kimberley Clarke. Vickie Singh of Union/Claxton Bay Senior Comprehensive, will prove that she is one of the most talented young badminton players. She will definitely prove her worth in the Under-17 Division where she should emerge victorious and probably could move a notch higher to show her class.