Young Priyanna Ramdhani proudly displays the Pan Am Bronze medal and the various trophies and medals she has acquired during her career
At the tender age of 10, the versatile Priyanna Ramdhani has not only won the Junior Sportswoman-of-the-Year award for 2011, but also stamped her name in history as the youngest person to ever win a National Sports Commission accolade ever since it became an annual feature in the 1950s.
Born January 2, 2002 to Mr. and Mrs. Gokarn Ramdhani, the badminton champion, table-tennis star, chess fanatic, and lover of cricket and football has managed to maintain a good grade at Marian Academy, while still practicing the disciplines she has grown to embrace.
“Unique” is the word her father, Gokarn Ramdhani, used to describe the young lady, who first picked up the badminton racquet and shuttlecock at the age of five.
Conceived in a family whose name has become synonymous with local badminton, it was only natural that little Priyanna would gravitate to the sport.
Gokarn, a former national champion, is now the president of the local governing body, the Guyana Badminton Association, and also the national coach. Her brother, Narayan, is also an age group champion, who has dominated his categories over the years.
“She’s a very unique character; she learns very quickly. She has a different personality from her brother,” Gokarn revealed.
Luckily for Priyanna, her father has been her coach ever since she displayed a penchant for badminton, accompanying her for training at Marian Academy and Queen’s College Courts, as well as on overseas trip.
Packed and ready to go! Priyanna leaving home for a training session
The elder Ramdhani was by her side in 2010 when she copped bronze at the Junior Pan American Championship in the Dominican Republic, as well in 2011 when she repeated the performance at the same games in Jamaica.
Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, who was on the panel that deliberated over the awards late last month, said Priyanna’s latest achievement should serve as a catalyst for growth of the racquet sport.
“I’m happy to see that such a young person won the award. I hope this would serve now as an inspiration to the youngsters who want to play the game. I know for sure that students at Marian Academy and Queen’s College are motivated by her winning the award,” Kumar commented.
President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K. Juman Yassin, who has followed Priyanna’s career closely, said the youngster is deserving of the award.
“Congratulations are in order for her, first and foremost. I sincerely hope she continues to make strides, not just in sports, but it her academics as well. No doubt her success is due to the support and encouragement from her family, whom I’m sure are very proud of this achievement,” Yassin said in an invited comment yesterday.
During the period under consideration, January to December 2011, Priyanna was outstanding in local badminton at the Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15 categories, and was equally impressive in overseas competitions at the Under-11 and Under-13 divisions.
Apart from the bronze medal at the Pan American Junior Championship, she won 10 local competitions, namely the GBA Open Doubles; NSC Mashramani Under-11 Singles; a clean sweep of the Easter Junior tournament (copping first in the Under-13 Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles); Marian Academy Inter-House won by her team Fatima; the Under-15 Doubles and Mixed Doubles at Guyana Olympic Day event; and the Under-13 and Under-15 Singles at the Woodpecker Junior Christmas Singles.
Priyanna also attended the Caribbean Badminton Championship (CAREBACO), which was hosted in Barbados last August to participate in the Under-11 event. However, because of a small number of entries, that category was cancelled, forcing her to compete in the Under-13 where she won silver in both the Singles and Mixed Doubles.
She is now ranked as the Caribbean’s number one at the Under-11 category and number two at Under-13.
In table tennis, Priyanna finished as runner-up in the 10 and Under category at the National Championship, and third in the same category at both the annual Independence tournament and the Mashramani championship.
The petite young lady also hits the chess board from time to time. At the Marian Academy Inter-House championship last year, she placed third. When she’s away from the badminton court and the tennis table, Priyanna would usually join her brother and friends at cricket, football, and even some cycling.
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