Ricketts, Wilson secure second silver to close Jamaica International Badminton tournament
Samuel Ricketts and Shane Wilson closed the sixth staging of the Jamaica International Badminton Open with a second-place finish in the men’s doubles final, to ensure that the country finished with two silver medals at the tournament.
Playing with the full support of the spectators inside National Indoor Sports Centre yesterday, Ricketts and Wilson took on the more experienced pair of Solis Jonathan and Anibal Marroquin of Guatemala in the final match of the four-day tournament.
The Jamaicans got off to a good start and led the Guatemalans for most of the first set. With the boisterous home crowd chanting loudly, Ricketts and Wilson had a chance to serve for the first set at 20-19 but Jonathan and Marroquin stopped them dead in their tracks, scoring three consecutive points to take a one-set lead at 22-20.
The second set was a little less competitive as the Guatemalans took charge from early and never relented from their position of superiority.
They took the second set 21-15 as Jonathan won his second gold medal of the tournament. Jonathan had earlier paired up with Diana Soto to win the mixed doubles gold medal with victory over the Jamaican pair of Dennis Coke and Tahlia Richardson.
While Guatemala claimed two gold medals at the tournament, Japan claimed three gold medals and a silver while ensuring that there are still no repeat winners at the tournament.
In the all-Japanese men’s singles final, Takuma Obayashi had to work hard to defeat his countryman Yushi Tanaka 21-11, 17-21, 21-12. The absorbing contest took 57 minutes to complete as both men displayed excellent skills, both in defence and attack.
The women’s doubles final was a stroll for the Japanese pair of Sayaka Hobara and Rena Miyaura, as they eased to a 21-3, 21-7 win over the Peruvian pair of Danela Macias and Danica Nishimura in exactly 30 minutes.
Momoka Kimura had earlier beaten Linda Zetchiri of Bulgaria 21-12, 21-12 in the women’s singles final.
The two silver medals won by Jamaica represent their best return at the tournament that continues to attract some of the best badminton players in the world, year after year.
— Dwayne Richards
