7-member Guyana junior team heads to CAREBACO Championships

A seven-member Guyanese junior badminton team is set to compete against some of the Caribbean’s leading young players at the 2026 Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) Junior Individual Championships in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Junior and Senior Individual Championships will be held from August 14 to 18, as part of the wider CAREBACO/Smash Jamaica Badminton programme, which runs from August 12 to 18.
Anjaynesa Godette and Joel Rambiriche will represent Guyana in the Under-13 category, while Ruel Rambiriche will compete at the Under-17 level.
The Under-19 representatives are Nikolas Pollard, Christopher Jordan, Percival Chester, and Chioke Nurse.
National player Priyanna Ramdhani will serve as Coach, while Sonia Bachir has been appointed team Manager.
The tournament will provide Guyana’s developing players with another opportunity to test their abilities against strong regional opponents while gaining valuable international experience.
Guyana will enter the championships with a mixture of returning competitors and emerging talent. Joel Rambiriche, Ruel Rambiriche and Jordan have previous experience at the event.
At the 2025 championships in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Guyanese contingent earned four bronze medals. Joel secured medals in the Boys’ Under-11 Singles and Doubles, while Mishka Beharry won bronze in the Under-19 Mixed Doubles.
Joel has since moved into the Under-13 category and will return to the regional stage alongside his brother Ruel. Jordan will also be making another appearance after competing at the 2025 edition.
The team’s preparations have been supported by Indian Coach Kartikey Gund, who is in Guyana under the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA)’s six-month Coaching and development programme.
Gund has been working with national players and affiliated clubs on technical and tactical development. His assignment also involves mentoring local Coaches and identifying promising players for the association’s High Performance and Development Programme.
The GBA said its objective extends beyond winning medals, with the tournament viewed as an important step in developing the country’s next generation of badminton players.
The association also expressed appreciation to the stakeholders and supporters who continue to contribute to the sport’s development.