The Guyana Badminton Association has inaugurated the Gokarn Ramdhani Memorial Tournament, paying tribute to the late prolific badminton president and coach.
The tournament, which opened on Thursday at the National Gymnasium, featured competitions in Under 23 Men and Women Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.
The event began with a video tribute to Gokarn Ramdhani, the former President of the Guyana Badminton Association and National Player who represented Guyana in multiple international tournaments during the 80s and 90s.
Under his leadership, Guyana achieved a top 50 ranking for juniors, reaching 49th in the world for Team.
Ramdhani played a crucial role in getting Guyana qualified for prestigious events such as the Commonwealth Games, Panam Games, and the CAC Games.
He was also the only qualified BWF Level 3 Coach in Guyana, coaching national players for decades.
Emily Ramdhani, head of the local badminton fraternity, expressed that the loss still feels fresh, and the competition is designed to keep Gokarn Ramdhani’s memory alive.
The goal is to continue the growth of badminton and build on the platform he worked hard to establish.
On the opening day of the competition, winners in various categories included Haresh Persaud, Lennox Morrison, Jonathan Robinson, Xavio Alexander, Jahiem Carmicheal, Akili Haynes (Men Under 23 Singles), Malia Haley, Gianna Ramnarine, Asiyah Eastman (Under-23 Women’s Singles), and others.
The Men’s Doubles opening day victors included Ernesto Choo-a-fat/Avinash Odit and Nkosi Beaton/Neveah Eastman won their Mixed Doubles match-up.
The tournament is sponsored by Massy Distributions (Blue Waters), Sol (Guyana) Inc., and Chet Bowling.
The competition continues with the quarterfinals and consolation rounds.