Haynes and Beharry stand out at 60th Independence Badminton Tournament

The Guyana 60th Independence Anniversary Badminton Tournament concluded at the National Gymnasium with a series of final matches featuring the country’s leading senior and junior athletes.

The event marked Guyana’s Diamond Jubilee Independence celebrations, showcasing the sport’s current development.

Akili Haynes and Mishka Beharry emerged as the standout performers of the tournament, each securing two gold medals in their respective categories.

Haynes won the Men’s Doubles title alongside Tyrese Jeffrey, defeating Nkosi Beaton and Daniel Tan 21-14, 21-18.

He secured his second gold in the Mixed Doubles final with Asiyah Eastman, defeating Nkosi Beaton and Mishka Beharry 21-19, 21-17.

Beharry captured the Under-23 Women’s Singles title by defeating Alimah Eastman 21-9, 21-7 in the final.

She then partnered with Leshaunte Berkley to win the Women’s Doubles category against Asiyah Eastman and Menikshi Jaikissoon with a score of 21-12, 21-12.

Beharry narrowly missed a third title in the Women’s Singles final, where Ashley Khalil secured the championship in a three-game match ending 21-14, 16-21, 21-14.

In the Men’s Singles final, Sheraz Nabbie defeated top-seeded Akili Haynes 21-19, 21-17 to claim the championship title.

The Under-23 Men’s Singles title went to Frank Waddell, who defeated Christopher Jordan 21-9, 21-19.

Additionally, the Guyana Badminton Association presented special prizes to William Holder and Lucy Leo, who were recognised as the oldest and youngest registered participants in the tournament.

At the closing ceremony,  Ayanna Watson, on behalf of the Guyana Badminton Association, expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Government of Guyana for their support.

During the presentations, the Vice President of the association informed affiliates that the Badminton World Federation has approved a new international scoring system.

The new format, consisting of 2 out of 3 games played to 15 points, will officially take effect in January 2027 to make the sport faster and more appealing. Local clubs were urged to begin utilising the system immediately.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson  Jr., commended the association for successfully organising the tournament, noting it coincided with several other national sports events celebrating the Independence Anniversary.

Minister Ramson Jr. also highlighted the upcoming commissioning of a new badminton facility at the Racquet Centre, describing the infrastructure project as an Independence gift to the badminton fraternity.

Official medals and cash prizes were presented to the winners by Minister Ramson, National Sports Commission Chairman Kashif Mohamed, and Assistant Director of Sports Melissa Dow-Richardson.

WINNERS

Under 23 Men’s Singles

1^st Place – Frank Waddell

2^nd Place – Christopher Jordan

3^rd Place – Yonneil Benjamin

• Caleb Tan

Under 23 Women’s Singles

1^st Place – Mishka Beharry

2^nd Place – Alimah Eastman

3^rd Place – Menishki Jaikissoon

• Anya Manickchand

Men’s Singles

1^st Place – Sheraz Nabbie

2^nd Place – Akili Haynes

3^rd Place – Frank Waddell

• Tyrese Jeffrey

Women’s Singles

1^st Place – Ashley Khalil

2^nd Place – Mishka Beharry

3^rd Place – Alimah Eastman

• Asiyah Eastman

Men’s Doubles

1^st Place – Akili Haynes + Tyrese Jeffery

2^nd Place – Daniel Tan + Nkosi Beaton

3^rd Place – Percival Chester + Ronit Gulchand

• Troxley Cutting + Grandison Robinson

Women’s Doubles

1^st Place – Mishka Beharry + Leshaunte Berkley

2^nd Place – Asiyan Eastman + Menishki Jaikissoon

3^rd Place – Abosadie Cadogan + Ashley Khalil

• Amande Low-Lewis + Anna Perrerria

Mixed Doubles

1^st Place – Akili Haynes + Asiyah Eastman

2^nd Place – Nkosi Beaton + Mishka Beharry

3^rd Place – Frank Waddell + Leshaunte Berkley

• Amande Low-Lewis + Grandison Robinson