The familiar thwack of shuttlecocks and the roar of the crowd returned to the National Gymnasium on Friday evening as the Guyana Badminton Association’s (GBA) annual GUMDAC Tournament got underway.
Anticipation was high as players from the Demerara and Berbice Badminton Clubs prepared to battle it out in Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles categories.
GBA Vice-President, Mrs. Ayanana Watson, officially declared the tournament open, extending a warm welcome to participants, coaches, and enthusiastic spectators. She paid special tribute to sponsor Mr. Darrell Carpenay of GUMDAC, marking his company’s eleventh consecutive year of invaluable support for the prestigious event.
“We are incredibly grateful to Mr. Carpenay and GUMDAC for their unwavering commitment to badminton in Guyana,” Mrs. Watson stated. She urged all competitors to “play hard, play fair and have fun” as they vied for honours.
The opening night did not disappoint, with a flurry of matches showcasing both emerging talent and established pairings. Several contests went the distance, providing early drama for the attendees.
Day 1 Highlights – Friday, 23rd May 2025:
In some of the standout Men’s Doubles encounters, Vishal Gopaul and Ruel Rambiriche edged a three-set thriller against Veerendra Bhagwandin and Jason Stephney (21-11, 19-21, 21-18), while Akili Haynes and Tyrese Jeffrey delivered a dominant performance to dispatch Nathan Mohanlall and Liam Brummell (21-3, 21-5). Anthony Stephens and Farid Khan also battled through a tough three-setter to overcome William Holder and Raah Russell (16-21, 21-14, 21-16).
The Women’s Doubles saw Shivannie Persaud and Anna Perreira secure a convincing win over Harshini Muralidharan and Gabrielle Felix (21-11, 21-11). Later, Priyanna Ramdhani and Mishka Beharry demonstrated their strong partnership with two commanding victories, first against Asiyah Eastman and Leshaunte Berkley (21-6, 21-8) and then overcoming Muralidharan and Felix (21-6, 21-9).
Mixed Doubles action also provided its share of excitement, with Wen Yuan Chen and Asiyah Eastman advancing in a closely fought quarter-final against Joanathan Debidin and Leshaunte Berkley (22-20, 21-18). Frank Waddell and Anjaneysa Godette recovered from a set down to beat Caleb Tan and Harshini Muralidharan (15-21, 21-17, 21-8).
Selected First Round & Quarter-Final Results:
Men’s Doubles:
Vishal Gopaul/Ruel Rambiriche bt. Veerendra Bhagwandin/Jason Stephney 21-11, 19-21, 21-18
Joel Rambiriche/Caleb Tan bt. Percival Chester/Shane Birkett 21-14, 21-8
Akili Haynes/Tyrese Jeffrey bt. Nathan Mohanlall/Liam Brummell 21-3, 21-5
Grandison Robinson/Troxley Cutting bt. Colin Bowry/Jahiem Carmichael 21-16, 23-21
Anthony Stephens/Farid Khan bt. William Holder/Raah Russell 16-21, 21-14, 21-16
Marlon Chung/Jaurel Hendricks bt. Gavin Cao/Shi cao 21-12, 21-15
Nkosi Beaton/Wen Yuan Chen bt. Caleb Tan/Joel Rambiriche 21-5, 21-7
Frank Waddell/Joanathan Debidin bt. Nikolas Pollard/Avinash Ramnarine 21-6, 21-7
Nkosi Beaton/Wen Yuan Chen bt. Grandison Robinson/Troxley Cutting 21-7, 21-19
QF: Chet Bowling/Dan Tan bt. Marlon Chung/Jaurel Hendricks 21-16, 21-17
QF: Akili Haynes/Tyrese Jeffrey bt. Anthony Stephens/Farid Khan 21-8, 21-14
QF: Frank Waddell/Joanathan Debidin bt. Vishal Gopaul/Ruel Rambiriche 21-10, 21-15
Women’s Doubles:
Shivannie Persaud/Anna Perreira bt. Harshini Muralidharan/Gabrielle Felix 21-11, 21-11
Priyanna Ramdhani/Mishka Beharry bt. Asiyah Eastman/Leshaunte Berkley 21-6, 21-8
Priyanna Ramdhani/Mishka Beharry bt. Harshini Muralidharan/Gabrielle Felix 21-6, 21-9
Shivannie Persaud/Anna Perreira bt. Asiyah Eastman/Leshaunte Berkley 21-12, 24-22
Mixed Doubles:
QF: Wen Yuan Chen/Asiyah Eastman bt. Joanathan Debidin/Leshaunte Berkley 22-20, 21-18
Frank Waddell/Anjaneysa Godette bt. Caleb Tan/Harshini Muralidharan 15-21, 21-17, 21-8
QF: Nkosi Beaton/Mishka Beharry bt. Ruel Rambiriche/Gabrielle Felix 21-13, 21-12
The tournament continues on Saturday, May 24th, from 13:00hrs at the National Gymnasium, where the semi-finals and finals will be contested, promising further top-class badminton action.
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