ETHAN RAMCHARAN has stepped up in class for the National Junior Badminton Championships at the National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua.
Action will take place in singles, doubles and mixed doubles in five age groups—Under-11, 13, 15, 17 and 19—today, tomorrow and next weekend.
In his first year in the U-17 division, Ramcharan won this title last year and went on to capture a Triple Crown in the CAREBACO (Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation) Championship in August.
The Cristars Club player, who recently turned 16, started this season by comfortably winning his age-group crown in the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association’s Ranking Tournament in January. But Ramcharan has decided not to defend his national title and step up to the U-19 division.
This is not good news for the seeded players in the draw, as the southerner—also a national junior cricketer and table tennis player—is not seeded and he will begin his campaign against No.4 seed Yannic Inniss in the round of 16.
Kaveer Ramoutar defeated Jace Smith in the age-group final of the ranking tournament, and they are seeded first and second, respectively. Urquhart sisters, Aliyah and Amara, will be going for glory again after capturing the U-17 and 19 “Ranking” titles, respectively.
However, Aliyah is seeded third, behind Samiya Karim, the player she beat in the final in January, and 2023 CAREBACO U-15 champ Tenniya Tobias, respectively.
Last year’s CAREBACO U-19 champ Amara edged last year’s CAREBACO U-17 champ T’Shelle Barnes in the U-19 “Ranking” final and they are seeded first and second, respectively.
Michael Balvin and Devonnye Vincent won the Under-11 titles in the “Ranking” tournament and they are the top seeds in the youngest category.
Liam Persad, the 2023 CAREBACO U-13 champ, cruised to the U-15 in January and is the top seed and overwhelming favourite to do so again.
However, girls’ equivalent “Ranking” champ Azaria Gaskill was not seeded in the draw of eight as Rishelle Boodoosingh and Serenito Tinto are numbers one and two, respectively. Last year’s CAREBACO U-13 champ Asia Lee Waller is seeded to capture her second age-group title for the year.
The boys’ equivalent event is straight round-robin and the field of three includes “Ranking” champ Liam Rajkumar, who captured a Triple Crown in CAREBACO in 2023. Terrell Hernandez and Andrew Babwah are seeded first and second, respectively, in the U-17 division.
First serve today is 9 a.m.
