A?new era?in badminton was ushered in last weekend at the Wildey Gymnasium with the conclusion of the Caribbean Alliance Insurance National Senior Badminton Championships.
A youth movement is primed to take control as Bradley Pilgrim seized his very first opportunity to become the new men’s singles champion after only three years within the senior ranks, while dethroning the five-time champion Andre Padmore.
Pilgrim’s hard work has paid off and with the support of his parents and past coaches Ryan Toppin and Athelstone Forde, he has risen above all others to confirm his place in history.
After his emotional win, Pilgrim said he was even more motivated to continue to train harder as he seeks to improve his game.
The dynamic 22-year-old has also shown consistency in his men’s doubles game with his partner Dakiel Thorpe, as they once again demonstrated in their convincing win over Kevin Wood and Padmore, to win two successive titles.
Thorpe’s singles play is also improving, as he has also previously defeated Padmore, but he needs to be more consistent in his efforts. Despite his loss, Padmore’s ability cannot be understated and he also has much more to give.
However, the youth arm has gained in confidence with emerging players like Sabeel Foster, Cory Fanus, D’Andre Thorpe and Jade Browne who strongly believe they can stake a claim on the senior ranks.
On the women’s side, Mariama Eastmond after many years of playing second fiddle has come into her own, to confirm that she is the best female singles player in Barbados.
She was easily the Player Of The Tournament and despite recovering from an ankle injury, she played to a very high level.
Eastmond failed in her bid to win three titles but if the Barbados Badminton Association can provide opportunities for mental training and conditioning for the players, it would go a long way in assisting in managing pressure situations.
Shari Hope has paired with Eastmond for many years in the doubles division and they were able to retain their hold on the title for the fourth straight time. However, Tamisha Williams and Monyata Riviera are a definite threat to that future dominance.
Riviera’s long-time partner and Barbados Scholarship winner, Mikielia Carrington, who is currently studying in The Bahamas, can pose a significant challenge as well on her return.
Sabrina Scott also demonstrated she still has what it takes when she regained her mixed doubles title, in tandem with Wood, which she lost two years ago.
One issue affecting both the experienced and younger players is the lack of a designated facility for them to train consistently. The senior players are currently forced to train in the wee hours of the morning and this is not always achievable with the many and varied uses of the Wildey Gymnasium.
With the wealth of talent shown in the tournament, the ability to train more, to develop their technical skills and court craft would go a long way in assisting the current national senior and junior programmes, along with broadening the base by bringing more players into the sport itself.
Kudos must go to Caribbean Alliance Insurance Co. Ltd for its sponsorship. The tournament was organized by the association through Dionne Haynes, Lisa Fields and Janelle Denny, while BWF International umpire Kelvin Martin was ably assisted by other officials who ensured a professional standard of officiating throughout.
As the association celebrates its 30th anniversary, it is hoped that it will receive more assistance as it seeks to continue to develop the sport. (PR/EZS)
