JAMAICA’S coach at the Ocean Spray/Wata Pan-American Junior Badminton Championship, Howard Ranger, is convinced that his team is still looking pretty good after the first day of competition in the singles events at the National Indoor Sport Centre yesterday.

This after six local boys and two girls advanced with victories in yesterday’s opening round of matches.

Second seed in the Boys Under-19 event, Anthony McNee, led the local charges by scoring a convincing 21-16, 21-11 win over Guyana’s Nicholas Ali.

McNee, who is ranked second behind Canada’s Nyl Yakura, will be followed by teammate Gerald Issacs into the next round after the latter defeated Puerto Rico’s Heriberto Torres 21-15, 21-9.

Top seed Yakura brushed aside Trinidad’s Matthaus Wilford 21-7, 21-7 to book his place in the next round, while third seed Victor Morreti of Brazil beat Mexico’s Hugo Guiterrez 21-11, 21-13 to also advance.

Meanwhile, three local boys progressed from the first round of the Under-17 age category to keep Jamaica’s medal hopes alive in that segment.

Samuel Ricketts beat Puerto Rico’s Ivan Morales 21-18, 21-14; Jonathan Smith stopped Hector Perez of Dominica 21-17, 21-19 and Jamari Rose overcame Yeigiri Kuroki 21-18, 21-19 to all earn their spots in the next phase.

They will be joined by the top four seeds from this category, who also advanced yesterday.

Number one seed Nathan Osbourne and number four-ranked Duncan Yoa defeated Guatemala’s Victor De Valle 21-11, 21-11 and fellow Canadian Kartikay Tyagi 21-19, 19-21, 21-17, respectively.

Number two-ranked Chentan Potu of the US came from behind to get the better of Canadian rival Mac Lee 15-21, 21-18, 21-11, while number three-rated Coelho de Oliveira of Brazil beat Hugo Andrade of Colombia 21-12, 21-5.

However, in the Under-15s only Shawn Wilson progressed for the Jamaicans after scoring a 21-9, 21-7 win over Guyana’s Jamel Ramsook.

Meanwhile, in the female Under-15 competition only Christina Hasting, who defeated Guyana’s Varsha Boodram 21-12, 20-22, 21-6, made progress, while Tiana Bailey beat Michelle Alderete on Mexico 21-16, 22-20 in the Under-13 contest to advance.

But all top female seeds from the various age categories made it through to the next round.

In the Under-19s top seed Daynesha Santana beat local girl Jozanne Suckie 21-6, 21-8, and number two ranked Luz Zornoza of Peru, eased past Guyana’s Tricia Ramjit 21-0, 21-1.

In the Under-17s Brazil’s number one-ranked Layhaynny Vincent got by Dominica’s Ariana Sanchez 21-8, 21-14, and number two seed Cherie Chow of the US beat Trinidad’s Kristi Reno-Singh 21-5, 21-9.

The tournament will continue this morning, starting at 9:00 am.