Robinson, Pettigrew top inner-city badminton

NATIONAL UNDER-19 representative Nicholas Robinson of St. Andrew Technical (STATHS) ,and Haile Selassie High's Serena Pettigrew were crowned male and female singles winners respectively at last weekend's Inner City Badminton Tournament, which ended on Sunday at the Haile Selassie school hall.

In the boys' singles, Robinson defeated Nicholas Blake 15-2, 15-5 while Pettigrew beat her schoolmate Crystal Blake 10-11, 11-8, 11-8.

Both winners teamed-up to win the mixed doubles event, but had no success with their partners in the doubles.

In the mixed doubles - Robinson and Pettigrew beat Toussainte Taylor and Crystal Blake of Haile Selassie 11-15, 15-13, 15-8.

In the doubles, Robinson and Kevin Atkinson lost to Prince Davis and Dwight Simpson 9-15, 15-12, 15-13 while Pettigrew and Under-14 'Triple Crown' winner, Shana-Kay Bailey lost to the Blake sisters 15-5, 15-13.

The doubles victory by Blake gave her a sixth title for the tournament as she had previously captured a double in the 'D' division and the 'Triple Crown' in the 'C' division. She had advanced to all nine finals of the 'Open', 'B' and 'C' divisions.

At the awards ceremony, which followed the matches, Jamaica Badminton Association (JBA) president Vishu Tolan, and Anton Thompson, a past Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) vice-president addressed the gathering and handed out the awards.

The inner-city badminton programme is made possible mainly through grants from Cable & Wireless and the Sports Development Foundation (SDF).