NABUCO Age Challenge 2020 Week 2

NABUCO Age Group Badminton Challenge 2020 - U17 &
Seniors
From: Trevor McCain – Chairman, NABUCO (National Association of
Badminton Umpires and Court Officials)
Venue: Constant Sprint Golf Club Badminton Hall.
Date: February 9, 2020.
The second week of the NABUCO Age Group Badminton Challenge came to an end at the
Constant Sprint Golf Club Badminton Hall on Sunday night producing six Double Winners. Three
of the Double Winners were in the U17 Division and the other three were in the Senior Division.
Thirteen year old Rihanna Rust was again the toast of the tournament. In the U17 Girls
Singles final she took on the U19 Champion from last week… again. This time she prevailed in
three games beating Tahlellah Townsend, her Doubles partner, 21-19,8-21,21-17 in an exciting
match where each player traded near impossible shots. Rihanna then teamed with Tahlellah to
win the U17 Girls Doubles beating Jade Ranger and Breanna Webster of Rangers Badminton
Academy 21-5,21-5 to solidify the fact that as a pair they are unbeatable among juniors
nationally. Tahlellah then partnered with Aundre Brown to beat Rihanna and Matthew Gibbs in
an entertaining U17 Mixed Doubles Final 22-20, 21-11. This was Townsend’s second win of the
night and the first of two for Gibbs. Gibbs had earlier won the U17 Boys Singles over Aundre
Brown in a close 22-20, 22-20 match and with Tijae Hinds also won the U17 Boys Doubles 21-
13, 21-11 over Aundre Brown and Chrissano Hanna-Miller. Incidentally Rust, Townsend, Gibbs
all with two titles each and Brown in various combinations accounted for all the U17 titles.
The senior match of the night was undoubtedly the Men’s Singles final between number one
seed Matthew Lee, the RJR Gleaner Sports Foundation Male Badminton player of the year for
2019 and former National Champion and number two seed Dennis Coke. The match swung
from end to end with both players exchanging combinations of awesome power and finesse.
When the dust cleared Dennis Coke prevailed in three games 21-8, 14-21 21-12. Not to be
outdone the Ladie’s Singles final was no less competitive. It placed number one seed and the
RJR Gleaner Sports Foundation Female Badminton player of the year for 2019 Tahlia Richardson
against former many time National Champion and number two seed Katherine Wynter. The
Ladies exchanged shot for shot, power for power and cunning for cunning. In the end
Richardson came out winner in a close 21-18, 24-22 match.
Dennis Coke teamed with Matthew Lee to win the Mens Doubles 21-12, 21-16 over Stephen
Lue-Yen and Kemar Valentine for Coke’s second title. Katherine Wynter partnered with Matthew
Lee to win the Senior Mixed Doubles Championship 21-17, 21-11 over Dennis Coke and Tahlia
Richardson. In the only other final the Womens, Doubles Katherine Wynter and Super Veteran
Christine Lyew-Mayne prevailed over youngsters Breanna Bisnott and Stephanie-Imani Brown
21-11, 21-9.
There was no play in the U13 Division due to insufficient entries.

All these senior finalists will be on show at the Jamaica International Badminton Tournament
representing Jamaica in international competition. The Tournament is set for March 3-8 at the
National Indoor Sports Centre.