Bermuda’s rising badminton stars faced a challenging opening day at the Victor Ontario Junior C #7 tournament in Canada, with the island's trio testing their mettle against some of North America's top young talent.
Competing at Carleton University in Ottawa, the three-man squad of Joseph Lau, Aaron Patrick Lee, and JitHom Liew found the standard high as they navigated both the main draws and consolation brackets in their respective divisions.
Joseph Lau provided the highlight of the opening round in the Boy's Under-19 Division. Lau looked composed and sharp from the outset, dispatching Davin Uriel Yang Tan in straight sets with a disciplined 21-12, 21-15 victory. The win saw him progress to the quarter-finals, where he faced a formidable opponent in Michael Gadza. Despite a spirited effort and several long rallies, Lau was unable to find a way past Gadza, eventually falling by an identical 21-12, 21-15 scoreline.
In the same age bracket, Aaron Lee endured a difficult start to his campaign. Lee came up against a clinical Adrian Tand in his opener, struggling to find his rhythm in a 21-6, 21-4 defeat. Looking to bounce back in the Consolation Quarter-Final, Lee showed more of his technical ability against Xavier Ming Feng Chan but ultimately bowed out of the singles competition following a 21-7, 21-11 loss.
Thirteen-year-old JitHom Liew, competing in the Under-15 Division, was involved in one of the most competitive matches of the day. Facing Ishan Atharva Gokhale, Liew pushed his opponent to the limit in both sets, showcasing the explosiveness he has worked on during his pre-tournament training in Bermuda. However, Gokhale’s consistency proved decisive in the crucial moments, with Liew narrowly edged out 21-17, 21-19.
Following the narrow defeat, Liew moved into the Consolation Quarter-Final to take on Daniel Paul. Despite a bright start, Liew was unable to sustain the pressure against the Canadian, falling 21-15, 21-9 to conclude his singles run.
While the results on paper were tough for the Bermudian contingent, coach Emma Moran-Lee had previously emphasised that the trip was designed to expose the players to a higher tier of competition. Having trained against Bermuda's adult national team players in preparation for the Ottawa event, the trio will now look to regroup for the doubles portion of the tournament.
The experience at the Victor Ontario Junior C series continues to serve as a vital development platform for Bermuda’s junior national programme as they look to build toward future regional championships.
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