2022 South American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay: Mixed fortunes for Badminton team on first game day
Guyana’s Badminton team started the country’s campaign for medals at the 2022 South American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay with a bang on Tuesday, picking up four wins and two losses across three categories of play.
Guyana, having fielded the 4-member Badminton team of Akili Haynes, Priyanna and Narayan Ramdhani, and coach Naeem Haque, sprang into action on Tuesday morning when the first sport featuring Guyanese athletes took flight at the Games.
While each member of the team contested the singles’ events, the Ramdhani siblings also teamed up for the mixed doubles events.
Guyana’s Badminton team started their campaign for medals in the South American Games on Tuesday
In the women’s singles arena, Priyanna was pitted against Rosa Karin Quilodran Riquelme of Chile, whom she defeated in two straight sets 21-19 and 21-12. Later in the day, Priyanna opposed Aruba’s Leyenne Schairer and also won that game 21-19, 21-12. Her next women’s singles match would pit her against Peru’s Fernanda Saponara Rivva.
Her sibling Narayan took on Colombia’s Daniel Borja Aleans in the first round of the men’s singles, during the morning session, and easily outpointed him 21-15, 21-15.
In his ensuing match, Narayan battled Nicholas Ezequiel Oliva of Argentina but, unfortunately, lost that encounter 21-10, 21-14.
Akili Haynes fought valiantly during his encounter with Diego Emilio Zambrano Solano of Ecuador. His first outing on the court was an exciting three-set battle that saw Zambrano taking the first set 10-21, and Haynes fighting back to win the second set 21-12. Haynes played well in the third set, but eventually lost it 19-21.
In the mixed doubles category, the Ramdhani siblings pulled off a two-set victory over Venezuela’s Barrios and Ortiz. It was a proverbial walk in the park for the Ramdhanis, who won 21-9, 21-8.
Today the Badminton team will hit the court again at 10.35 local time. Haynes and Ramdhani are set to contest the men’s doubles against a duo from Paraguay, and Ramdhani would later join forces with his sister to contest the mixed doubles’ category against a pair from Ecuador, at 12.20pm local time.
The South American Games, which commenced on October 1st, will run until October 15th. Guyana is being represented by 16 athletes who specialise in four sporting disciplines. (Jemima Holmes)
