Saunders repeats triple crown win

Howard Walker, Staff Reporter

NIGELLA SAUNDERS stole the show at the bmobile All Jamaica Badminton Championships with three victories at the Constant Spring Golf Club's Racquet Complex at the weekend.

Saunders, the defending cham-pion, repeated last year's triple feat, winning the singles, ladies doubles and mixed doubles titles.

Said Saunders: "I am happy and amazed that I was able to win because I haven't been training," Saunders told The Gleaner.

"To come out and perform at that level makes me feel pretty proud," she added.

Saunders, who said she is doing mostly coaching and studying, defeated number two seed Alya Lewis 21-10, 15-21, 21-14 to lift the singles title.

She then teamed up with Lewis to turn back Debra O'Conner and Christine Leyow-Mayne 21-16, 21-16 to win the ladies doubles before hooking up with Bradley Graham to repel the challenges of Garron Palmer and Lewis 21-18, 21-13 for the mixed doubles title.

In the men's singles, Graham, who had lost to the Canada-based Charles Pyne in the last local tournament, turned the tables, defeating Pyne 21-13, 21-15.

The most exciting match of the finals turned out to be the men's doubles final where Pyne partnered Vishwanauth Tolan to a win over veterans Kingsley Ford and Neil Abrahams 22-20, 28-30, 21-19.

Sixteen-year-old Shenelle Peart walked away with five titles: Triple in the Under-17 age group and a double in the Under-19s.

Special awards were presented to past Jamaican badminton greats Jennifer Haddad-Nugent and Keith Palmer in recognition of their service to the sport. Other results:

Masters

Men's singles: Joseph Clarke defeated Richard Gordon 21-15, 21-6. Men's doubles: Dalton Reid and Jeffrey Baker defeated Joseph Clarke and Ricardo Teape 21-18, 21-19.

Mixed doubles: Ricardo Teape and Vinette Rowe defeated Joseph Clarke and Sharon Viera 18-21, 21-12, 21-12.

Veterans

Men's singles:

Anthony Thomas defeated Delsang Lue Taim 21-19, 16-21, 21-13. Men's doubles:

Anthony Thomas and 'Tony' Chang defeated Lue Delsang Taim and Warren Nelson 24-22, 21-10.

Parent and Child

Doubles: Delsang Lue Taim Sr. and Jr. defeated Dalton and Sunaldo Reid 21-16, 12-21, 21-13.