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Former T&T star wins US Open (over-40 Badminton)
« on: October 17, 2007, 11:01:06 AM »
Former T&T star wins US Open
Shammi Kowlessar (Express)


Wednesday, October 17th 2007

Virginia Chariandy-Balwant ended a tremendous comeback year by winning the womens' over-40 singles title at the recent United States Open Badminton Championships in California.

The former Caribbean singles and doubles champ, who only returned to competition this year after an absence of 17 years, also secured silver medals in doubles and mixed doubles events in one of the most prestigious tournaments on the international calendar.

Balwant won five matches en route to the singles title, defeating United States-based Jenny Chan of Hong Kong 21-18, 21-15 in the final. The 46-year-old and American Marie Ikeda won three matches before going down to a pair from Vietnam in a three-set doubles final.

Balwant and Garth D'Abreau, another former national player, lost in a straight-set mixed doubles final to two Canadians after winning three matches to get into gold medal contention.

The Trinidad and Tobago players had been unstoppable a few months before when they captured gold in the Southern Regional Open Tournament in Louisiana, USA in May. But even better was to come as they competed in the open mixed doubles event and walked away with the silver medal.

Balwant also played in the open women's doubles and again secured the silver--with American Mariani Setiawaty.

Balwant had only returned to competition at the start of the year and immediately captured a bronze medal in the over-45 division in the Jerry Toms Senior Tournament in Florida, USA.

And a month before the competition in Louisiana, she clinched bronze medals in both singles and doubles in the Canadian Masters Tournament.

Chariandy played in four international masters events for the year and earned medals in all of them. She ended with two golds, two silvers and two bronzes, as well as two silver medals in open competition.

The former national champ plans to play at least seven tournaments next year and will travel to San Antonio, Texas, next month to begin preparations for her hectic schedule.

She has been so impressive on her return that she was selected and represented T&T in open competition in the Caribbean Badminton Championships (CAREBACO) in Suriname in June.

This event is where it had all started for Balwant as in 1976 she became the first Trinidad and Tobago player to win a gold medal in Junior CAREBACO when she captured the under-16 title.

Balwant, who also holds the distinction of being the national triple crown (singles, doubles and mixed doubles) champion for three successive years, won CAREBACO gold in doubles on four occasions with local and Caribbean great Dr Debra O'Connor.

Balwant and O'Connor also captured the silver medal in doubles at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in 1989.
 

 

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