An unpretentious teenage boy and a woman with a never-say-die attitude earned their maiden Barbados titles at the Senior National Badminton Championships on Wednesday night at the Wildey Gymnasium.
The tenacious Monyata Riviera, playing in her third women’s singles final, finally ended the drought with a 13-21, 21-9, 21-13 win over defending champion Tamisha Williams-Griffith, while the 6 ft, 3 in, Kennie King, 17, became the new king of badminton with an impressive 21-15, 21-15 victory over top-ranked Andre Padmore.
Before a small crowd that included Argyle Maynard, who reeled off six successive men’s titles in the early and mid-1990s, and retired basketball coach George Shepherd, King and Riviera, both products of Christ Church Foundation School, defied the odds with memorable performances.
They overcame opponents with far greater experience. (MK)
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