Katherine Wynter was delighted to be national women’s badminton champion once again after she defeated Breanna Bisnott in the final of the All Jamaica National Badminton Championships that concluded at GC Foster in Spanish Town, St Catherine on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Wynter was also crowned Women’s Doubles Champion alongside Bisnott and Mixed Doubles Champion with Matthew Lee to wrap up a successful championship.
In the Women’s final on Sunday, Wynter, who lost her title as national champion in 2018, said experience proved to be the deciding factor in regaining her crown as the best female player in the country.
“It wasn’t my best game as I am battling a knee injury so I wasn’t able to move as I normally would. However, I was able to use my experience and tactical awareness to come away with the win,” said Wynter, who triumphed 21-15, 21-9.
By comparison, Wynter said, the final Women’s Doubles, in which she and Bisnott faced the pair of Rihanna Rust and Mikaelah Mustafaa, was ‘fairly simple’.
“We won in two sets (21-14, 21-11) and in the Mixed Doubles we played Garron Palmer and Breanna Bisnott and we won in two sets but the second game was a bit more challenging as they were able to deuce the game at 20-all but we were able to come away with the win at 23-21,” she said.
“So, the second game was a bit more challenging but I am just happy overall to come away with the win.
“I am very happy and proud to get back the title of number-one in Jamaica.”
Meanwhile, Samuel Ricketts claimed the Men’s Singles crown with a straight-set victory over Matthew Lee. Lee and Joel Angus won the Men’s Doubles title over Albert Myles and Garron Palmer.
Rihanna Rust took the U17 Girls title in straight sets over Jade Ranger while Nathaniel Finzi won the U17 Boys title defeating Keyon ‘dr McBean two sets to one.
Rust won the U17 Doubles final with Cara Fraser defeating Brianna Webster and Gabrielle Bailey in straight sets.
Finzi partnered with Zachary Lim Sang to win the U17 Doubles Boys final in straight sets over Khalil Gregory and Omari Swaby.
The U13 Boys title went to Amir McBean who defeated Jelani Nelson in straight sets while Rachael Givans took the U13 Girls title defeating Haley DaCosta in straight sets.
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Ricketts strikes gold at Torneo International tourney in Cuba
Jamaica’s Samuel Ricketts emerged champion at Cuba’s Torneo International competition when he defeated top seeded Yeison Alvarez two sets to one in Sunday's final in Havana.
After ousting the third seed Matthew Abela in the semis 21-17 21-3 in just 37 minutes on Saturday, the second seeded Ricketts outplayed Alvarez in the final 21-18 7-21 21-19 in the hour-long title decider.
In women’s play, Jamaican Tahlia Richardson advanced to the semis where she was narrowly beaten 12-21 23-21 27-25 by Nikte Sotomayor, the Guatemalan top seed who lost the final to Cuban Taymara Pupo.
Guyanese Priyanna Ramdhani reached the quarterfinals where she lost to Pupo.
Jamaica Badminton Academy: Soaring to new heights
In the vibrant world of badminton, the Jamaica Badminton Academy stands as a beacon of excellence, cultivating young talents and charting a course for success on both national and international stages. Led by the dynamic duo of Matthew Lee and Kenneth Anglin, the academy is not just a training ground for shuttlecock enthusiasts but a nurturing space that combines athletic prowess with educational opportunities.
"The Jamaica Badminton Academy is dedicated to providing a holistic platform for children to thrive in the world of badminton," shared Matthew Lee, the Director of the academy, alongside Kenneth Anglin. "Our mission goes beyond developing top-level athletes; we aim to instill essential values such as discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship."
Recently, Lee proudly shared the academy's remarkable achievements. "We currently have a lot of players selected to the national teams, especially for juniors. In the recent national junior championships, we had four medallists, including the remarkable Zoelle Jamel securing the Under 15 Girls Championship. This showcases the undeniable growth and potential of our talented athletes."
As the academy gears up for upcoming local tournaments, including the Tournament of Kings/Queens, Doubles Mania, Junior Classics, and the All Jamaica Super Series, Lee emphasized the pivotal role these events play in talent development. "Our unique schedule features multiple events, allowing young players to gain valuable experience in badminton tournaments. A new ranking system is set to be implemented (by the local governing body), providing players with the opportunity to earn points, leading to higher-tier tournaments and international representation," he stated.
Looking towards the global stage, the Jamaica Badminton Academy has its sights set on the XXXII PAN AM JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024 and the CARIBACO International Junior Championships. "We are particularly targeting the Junior Pan American Games, and we have designed a special training program for our high-performing athletes. Additionally, we are actively seeking sponsors to support these players' representation on the international stage," Lee explained.
The academy extends a warm welcome to players from primary, prep, and high schools to join their training programs. Beyond honing badminton skills, this presents a unique opportunity for children to enhance university applications, pursue scholarships, and unlock future job opportunities.
As the badminton calendar unfolds, marked by exciting local tournaments and international competitions, the Jamaica Badminton Academy is poised to make waves, leaving an indelible mark on the global badminton landscape. "Our academy believes in playing bold and reaching for the stars," concludes Director Matthew Lee. The shuttlecock soars, and with it, the dreams of young athletes under the tutelage of a visionary academy that believes in nurturing talent with passion and purpose.
Upcoming Tournaments:
Local Tournaments:
February 24th - 25th: Tournament of Kings/Queens
March: Club League, JG X Bad Boys Invitational
April 20th - 21st: Doubles Mania
May 18th - 19th: Junior Classics
July: Summer Swing
September: Club Knockouts
November 9th - 10th & 16th - 17th: All Jamaica
December 7th - 8th: Super Series
International Tournaments:
July 11 - 13: XXXII PAN AM JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024 TEAM EVENT CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
July 15-19: XXXII PAN AM JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024 - U13 - U17 CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
July 15-19: XXXII PAN AM JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024 - U19 CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
August 21 - 25: CARIBACO International Junior Championships
Jackson, Watson crowned as Jamaica’s 2023 National Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year
World champions Shericka Jackson and Antonio Watson were crowned Jamaica’s Sportswoman and Sportsman of the year, respectively, at the 2023 RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Friday.
Jackson claimed the award for the first time after a phenomenal 2023 season which saw her successfully defend her World 200m title with a personal best 21.41, the second fastest time ever, in Budapest in August.
In addition to her 200m title, Jackson also ran 10.72 for 100m silver. She ended her season with the sprint double at the Diamond League Final in Eugene with times of 10.70 and 21.57, respectively, in September.
The 29-year-old also achieved a new personal best in the 100m with 10.65, the fifth fastest time ever, to defend her National title in July.
Antonio Watson shocked the world to become the first Jamaican man in 40 years to win 400m gold at the World Championships.
After running a massive personal best 44.14 in the semi-finals, the 22-year-old produced 44.22 to take gold in the final. Watson also ran 44.54 for second at the National Championships in July.
Watson also took home the people’s choice award for his gold medal winning performance.
Danielle Williams was named runner-up for Sportswoman of the Year while Hansle Parchment was runner-up for Sportsman of the Year.
Williams, like Watson, shocked the world in Budapest by claiming her second 100m hurdles World title, the other coming all the way back in 2015.
Parchment, the reigning Olympic champion, claimed his second World Championship silver medal with a 13.07 effort in Budapest. He followed that up in September with a new personal best 12.93 to win at the Diamond League Final in Eugene.
The recipient of the 2023 Icon Award was 400m hurdles Olympic and World champion Deon Hemmings-McCatty while West Indies Under-19 batsman Jordan Johnson was named the winner of the VM Group Y.O.U.T.H award.
Some other athletes receiving awards for their individual sports included CAC Games bronze medallist Tahlia Richardson for badminton, Ricardo “Big 12” Brown for boxing, Sherea Clarke and Wayne McCalla for bodybuilding, West Indies batter Rashada Williams for cricket and Sara Misir and Fraser McConnell for motorsport.
Arguably Jamaica’s two most successful sports teams, the Sunshine Girls and the Reggae Girls, were given special awards for their performances in 2023.
The Reggae Girls were rewarded for their historic performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from July 20-August 20.
They became the first Caribbean team ever, male or female, to advance to the Round of 16 at a FIFA World Cup.
The Sunshine Girls also had a historically good year with a gold medal at the CAC Games held in El Salvador from June 25-29 and bronze at the Netball World Cup held from July 28-August 6 in South Africa.
That World Cup also saw the Jamaicans get their first ever World Cup win over world number one and eventual champions, Australia.
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