CAREBACO underway in Aruba

A 20-member Barbados team is presently in Oranjestad, Aruba, for the Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) Junior Championships. The tournament runs until Sunday, August 25 at the Centro Deportivo Playa.

In 2023, when the competition was held in Trinidad & Tobago, a 23-member Barbados team, the majority of them new players, secured 26 medals: two gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze. This time around, it’s been a rough start for Team Barbados.

In the boys Under-11 division, two seed Siraj Brathwaite is into the quarterfinals, after getting past Joel Rambiriche in a tough encounter, 21-18, 21-19. Top-seeded Jeremi Wright got a bye to the quarterfinals, but there he lost to Trinidad & Tobago’s Aryan Bhagoutie 21-12, 21-19. Lyam Clarke lost in Round 1 to Mexico’s Julián Bayas 21-9, 21-9

Top-seeded and defending champion Yazmyn Eastmond is the only Barbados girl in the Under-11 division. Eastmond got a bye into the quarterfinals, where she is set to take on Suriname’s Zaniyah Kalidien.

Wright and Eastmond will also combine for the mixed doubles.

Kai Blackman, a new player, went down to Roche Ramlal of Suriname, 21-9, 21-11 in the boys Under-13 division. Trinidad & Tobago’s Liam Rajkumar  beat Anik Price-Soudatt 21-7, 21-6. Price-Soudatt won two medals in doubles last year.

Playing in the Under-15 boys, Kaden Stuart downed Guyana’s Egan Bulkan 21-13, 21-3. Number one seed Xavi Haynes was set to play Aruba’s Deepesh Lalwani.

In Under-15 girls, two seed and 2023 bronze medallist Sahara Brathwaite defeated Trinidad & Tobago’s Kenise Gangoo 21-5, 21-13. Top seed Samiya Karim of Trinidad & Tobago topped Kimmara Tull-Williams 21-15, 21-12.

The Under-17 boys, without defending champion Nathan King, lost two ties to Trinidad & Tobago. Maximus Walsh outpointed Alec Sattaur 21-11, 21-14. Andrew Babwah routed Bryson Quarless 21-8, 21-9.

In that same division, Yadrián López Feliciano of Puerto Rico held on for victory over Samuel Humphrey 21-19, 21-15.

Xian Trotman gave Tenniya Tobias of Trinidad & Tobago a great run in the Under-17 girls, but ended up losing in 41 minutes, 16-21, 21-11, 21-17. Trotman’s countrywomen, Isabelle Waller and Aliyah Urquhart, bested Giana Collymore (21-13, 21-8) and Zaryah Cherubin (21-14, 21-13) respectively.

And in the boys Under-19 Yannic Inniss of Trinidad & Tobago got the win over Shailon Johnson 22-20, 21-10.

The team’s manager is Rhonda Scantlebury, and the coaches are Caroline Vaughn and Shae Martin.

(TF)