GNA – Ghana’s Mixed Double and Women’s Double team won bronze at the just ended Badminton Benin International despite losing in the semi-final stage on Friday.
Despite losing, per the Badminton World Fedeation’s rules, Ghana would be awarded a bronze medal for reaching the last four stage in the Mixed Double and Women’s Double Event.
This gives the country the necessary cumulative points towards the Badminton Mixed Team Double Event qualification for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK).
In the Women’s Double where Ghana’s Prospera Nantuo and Cindy Tornyenyor faced a herculean task against Amy Ackerman and Diane Olivier (South Africa) who have had many international tournament matches, the latter posted a painful 21-9, 21-10 defeat to Ghana to cruise to the finals.
19-year old Kelvin Alphous and Prospera Nantuo outclassed compatriots Aaron Tamakloe and Gloria Nyame 21-15, 21-11 to pick a semifinal slot but lost out to an experienced South African side, Jarred Elliot and Deidre Laurens Jordaan after recording 21-7, 21-26.
In other events, Demi Botha Deidra and Laurens Jordaan (South Africa) conquered Gloria Nyame and Racheal Quarcoo from Ghana with 21-10, 21-2 in the quarter finals of the women’s Double whilst Ghana’s number one rising badminton player, Abdul Ahmad-Samad was ousted by a Kazakhstan player, Dmitry Panarin who won a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Agentina. The Ghanaian athlete lost with a score of 21-9, 21-8 at the quarter final stage of the Men’s Single.
Nantuo, Ghana’s prospect also succumbed to South African’s Johanita Scholtz in a game which ended 21-5, 21-8 in the Women’s Single whereas in the Men’s Double, Ruan Snyman and Robert Summers, also from South Africa beat Ghana’s pair, Ebenezer Korampong and Samuel Lamptey 21-11, 21-13 whilst the latter’s compatriot Daniel Steyn and Bogani Von defeated Ruddock Quarcoo and Aaron Tamakloe with a score of 21-12, 21-14 and Cameron Coetzer and Jarred Eliot eliminated Emmanuel Amoako and Elvis Osei with 21-12, 21-14 in the Men’s Double quarterfinal stage.
Ghana would begin her campaign for the African U-15 Championship on Sunday, August 22 at the Stade de l’amitié Générale Mathieu.
In furtherance to this, Ghana is also participating in an international training camp for the sub-juniors age category- building up the essence of Badminton technique play at the world class level for its National athletes.
GNA