Glory in badminton

FOR THE second year in a row, Barbados have made a record medal haul at the Manhattan Beach Junior International Badminton Championships in Los Angeles, California.The team earned 28 medals – 11 gold, six silver and nine bronze – and two consolation gold medals by Mikeila Carrington and Shae Martin. Last year they won 23 medals, but only three of them were gold.Leading the way was young Amanda Haywood with three gold in the Under-11 division. Haywood defeated Nadia Susanto of the United States 21-17, 21-16, then teamed up with her to win the doubles with a 21-1, 21-7 victory over Eloise Belandres of the United States and Mexico’s Yesica Sanchez.In the mixed doubles, Haywood and Alex Flores of Guatemala took the match 21-4, 21-11 from the American pair of Belandres and Matthew Costopoulos. Haywood also won a bronze medal, stepping up to the Under-13 division with Martin. Monyata Riviera also won four medals – two gold, one silver and one bronze. In the Under-17 doubles, she teamed up with Carrington to beat Daniela Garcia of Mexico and Taipei’s Alice Lui 21-18, 21-14 and with American Chad Naramore to beat Garcia and Ricardo Salgado 21-17, 25-27, 21-18. The bronze came in the singles.In other results, Cory Fanus won two silver and one bronze and Dakiel Thorpe one of each. Also winning medals were Sabeel Foster, Shem Scantlebuty and Nicholas Reifer. (SAT)