Junior Badminton Association Host Tournament
The Junior Badminton Association hosted its 3rd Annual Junior Badminton Tournament this weekend, bringing together some of Bermuda’s most promising young badminton players for a weekend of competitive action.
A spokesperson said, “Saturday saw the U16 and U18 players showcase their talents and put their training to the test, with 21 players competing for national rankings and championship trophies.
“The tournament was organised by coaches Emma Moran-Lee and Aaron Simmons, both Bermuda’s number one adult badminton players, who are passionate about developing the sport and passing on their love of badminton to the next generation.
U18 Boys
Singles
- Winner: Joseph Lau
- Runner-up: Finn Peters
- 3rd Place: Ethan Mello
“Joseph Lau regained the U18 singles title, remaining unbeaten throughout the competition. The singles event proved particularly competitive, with three players finishing on five match wins. Final positions were therefore determined by calculating points against, highlighting just how closely contested the competition was.
Doubles
- Winners: Joseph Lau and Aaron Lee
- Runners-up: Finn Peters and Ethan Mello
- 3rd Place: Prince Domingo and Ryan McLean
“Joseph Lau and Aaron Lee successfully defended their doubles title, winning all their matches in two sets to claim the championship for the second consecutive year.
“The runners-up position was also hotly contested. Finn Peters and Ethan Mello recovered from losing their opening game 17–21 against Prince Domingo and Ryan McLean, fighting back to win the next two games 21–8 and 21–16 to secure second place.
U18 Girls
Singles
- Winner: Hayleigh Cherry
- Runner-up: Annabel Olutiola
“Hayleigh Cherry showed great determination to claim the U18 girls’ singles title. After losing the opening game 14–21, she responded brilliantly, winning the next two games 21–18 and 21–18 to take the championship.
U16 Boys
Singles
- Winner: George Peniston
- Runner-up: Joshua Manning
- 3rd Place: Benji Stones
“George Peniston produced an excellent performance, remaining unbeaten throughout the singles competition to secure the U16 boys’ title.”
Doubles
- Winners: Dominic Slater and Daniel Dalene
- Runners-up: Maikel Dela Cruz and Benji Stones
- 3rd Place: Praroop Srivastava and Riley Maybury
“Dominic Slater and Daniel Dalene produced an strong performance, winning all their matches without dropping a single game throughout the tournament to claim the U16 boys’ doubles title.
“The runners-up position was closely contested. Maikel Dela Cruz and Benji Stones lost their opening game against Praroop Srivastava and Riley Maybury but showed great determination to fight back, winning the next two games to secure the runners-up trophy.
U16 Girls
Singles
- Winner: Kate Pursell
- Runner-up: Sophie McClure
- 3rd Place: Khushi Simha
“Kate Purcell enjoyed an outstanding tournament, remaining unbeaten in all her matches to take the U16 girls’ singles title.
Doubles
- Winners: Kate Pursell and Sophie McClure
- Runners-up: Emmalyn Tothong and Khushi Simha
“Congratulations to all the players who participated and demonstrated great determination, sportsmanship and commitment throughout the day.
Thank You to Our Supporters
“A special thank you goes to all the volunteers who generously gave their time to score matches and help keep the tournament running smoothly and on schedule. Their support was invaluable to the success of the event.
“The Junior Badminton Association would also like to thank BGA and Butterfield & Vallis for their generous food and drink donations, ensuring players had healthy snacks and refreshments to keep them energised throughout the competition.
“The Bermuda Olympic Association was in attendance to promote the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect with competing athletes and coaches. The values are the foundation of the Olympic movement and builds on the Bermuda Olympic Association’s activities to promote sport, culture and education. Athletes were able to stop at the engagement booth to discover facts about Bermuda’s Olympic history, quiz their general sports knowledge and to learn more about the Olympic, Pan American, Commonwealth and CAC Games.
“With Saturday’s U16 and U18 events successfully completed, preparations are now underway for Sunday’s U12 and U14 tournaments. We look forward to welcoming our younger players and seeing them take to the courts to showcase their skills and enthusiasm for the sport. The future of Bermuda badminton is looking bright!”
