Nekeisha Blake celebrated her 20th year in the sport of badminton by lifting her seventh Women’s Singles title at the Badminton ‘Nationals’ on Friday night at the Chinese Association in St Ann’s.
Afterwards, she said her victory was not so much about her opponents, but rather to prove to her naysayers that she will succeed in spite of attempts to make her fail.
Blake’s golden performance came at the expense of a clearly jaded Avril Plaza-Marcelle, who played four matches the day before and struggled to cope with the rigours of work during the tournament, long travels from Siparia and little rest after game-days, Plaza-Marcelle told Guardian Media Sports.
In the final Blake, a multiple times winner of national titles from junior to senior levels prevailed in straight sets 21-18, 21-12.
She said the victory was a bitter-sweet one for her having just returned from a ban that was unjustified, and being surrounded by people inside and outside the badminton association who wanted her to fail.
“This victory is a strong message that they cannot keep me down,” Blake said. Her penchant for winning was not questioned but she had to pay close attention to Plaza-Marcelle, who was on an unbeaten run in the tournament playing in three different categories including the mixed doubles and women’s doubles and the singles.
Plaza-Marcelle said the rigours of reaching home late every night and getting little rest and coping with the responsibilities of her job which requires her to be always on her feet and having to drive long distances to and from the venue on match-days, really took a toll on her in the final.
Plaza-Marcelle also missed out on a title in the women’s doubles when she paired with Blake for the final against the team of Leanna Castanada and Latoya Walrond, but they went down 21-15, 21-15.
However, she made amends in the mixed doubles finals by combining forces with Naim Mohammed to defeat the duo of Nathaniel Khillawan and Cheque Deboulet. The latter claimed the opening set 21-19, but Plaza-Marcelle and Mohammed stormed back and claimed the other two sets 21-15, 21-17 to celebrate the title.
Meanwhile, in a hotly contested men’s singles final Renaldo Sinanan turned back a battling Vance Juteram in straight sets 21-10, 21-12.
Sinanan’s crown came on his first attempt as a senior player, which he said felt great. “It really feels good to have won after enduring a tough time with school (CAPE) exam, changing from a Sangre Grande club to one in St Ann’s and making other sacrifices. It was tough, but I have won and it feels good,” he explained.
“I am now focusing on the CAREBACO in August where I can gain points and improve my international rankings,” Sinanan added. He said, however, performing at CAREBACO in Suriname will require me to pay my own expenses, as the country will not be sending a team.”
In other results, the team of Nathaniel Khillawan and Roger Moore defeated Alviero Alvada and Shiva Persad 21-15, 21-15 for the men’s doubles gold medal while Ronald Clarke rolled back the years with a classy 21-18, 21-13 triumph over Mc Kenzie Joseph in the Masters final.
WALTER ALIBEY
