Two bronze medals for Priyanna Ramdhani at Pan Am

Priyanna Ramdhani ensured Guyana did not return home empty handed when she secured two bronze medals and a second place finish in the Consolation Round at the XXI Pan American Badminton Championships in Alberta, Canada on Sunday. Playing at the Sherlock Edmond Park facility, the reigning Junior Sportswoman-of-the-Year claimed the two medals on Sunday evening after spirited performances in the Under-11 Girls Doubles and the Mixed Doubles semi-finals.

Her effort this year doubled her achievements of 2010 and 2011 when she also won bronze in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica respectively.
Her four bronze medals are Guyana’s only medals in badminton at the Pan American championship.
In the Consolation Round, Priyanna lost to USA’s Cassandra Yu 21-7, 21-5, while she teamed up with Valeena Van Heukelon on Canada in the Girls Doubles semi-finals, but lost to the USA pair of Karina Chan and Tammy Xie 21-12, 21-7.
In the Mixed Doubles semi, Priyanna and her Peruvian partner, Gustavo Salazar, suffered defeat at the hands of Erick Doung and Cassandra Yu, but not before carrying the match to a decider.
The USA paired prevailed 21-13, 17-21, 21-11. The Guyanese competed against counterparts from Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Venezuela and host country Canada.
A record 314 players were engaged in the battle for supremacy in the Under-11, Under- 15 and Under-17 Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Apart from Priyanna, who is also the National Under-11, 13 and 15 champion and the Caribbean Under-11 and 13 champion, Guyana’s team comprised a wealth of experience with several players who are dominant in their age group at the local level. National Under-15, 17 and 19 champion and Caribbean Under-15 champion, Narayan Ramdhani, was a core member of the travelling party, while Avinash Odit campaigned in the Under-19 category and Ambika Jairam, Jonathon Mangra and Jonathon Persaud played in the Under-15 division.
Guyana’s trip to the XXI Pan American Junior Badminton Championships was made possible through corporate support from Republic Bank, Prittipaul Singh Investments, North American Resources, EZ Jet and M& M Snackette. The Guyana Badminton Association will now focus on preparing a 15-member Junior team to the Dominican Republic to participate in the Caribbean Regional Badminton Tournament (CAREBACO) from August 19-26.