Matthaus Wilford, 16, of Presentation College, Chaguanas is the new U19 singles badminton champion

MATTHAUS WILFORD, 16, of Presentation College, Chaguanas, and Zuwena James, 15, of Iere High School Siparia, are the new Under-19 Singles champions, having trounced their opponents in the Open Junior Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association Finals, held on Saturday at the Chaguanas Indoor Facility.

Wilford beat his close friend Jason Ramjass 21-12, 21-16 to capture the title, while James defeated Kristi Reno-Singh of St. Augustine Girls High School after an intense game of three sets, 21-16, 16-21, 21-17, to bag the trophy.

Reno-Singh, 15, had earlier thrashed James in the Under-17 Girls Singles Finals to successfully defend her title, which she won last year.

But James made a comeback in the Under-19 Singles match that followed, when she again sparred off with Reno-Singh later on in the afternoon.

Reno-Singh and Wilford were the only two players to walk away with three major titles during the finals yesterday.

Reno-Singh, although very petite, proved to be a force to be reckoned with, as she also emerged the champion in the Girls Singles Under-15 category. Additionally, she and her partner, Ashisha Persad, successfully clinched the Girls Doubles Under-15 title. Wilford and Ramjass copped the Under-17 Boys doubles title.

The winning teenagers said they believed their outstanding performances at were reflective of their hard work and dedication to the sport.

Wilford gets up at 4:30 each morning to train at the Chaguanas Indoor Facility before heading to school. He admits, though, that there are the times when he feels like staying in bed.

"It's hard to get up so early on a morning; sometimes, I literally have to drag myself out of bed," he said with a chuckle.

But he says he makes the effort to go anyway because training is important to help him keep on top of the game.

Wilford says that apart from keeping his body "fit and in shape," playing badminton has helped him become more disciplined. Additionally, he said it has taught him how to prioritize and stay focused.

He said, for instance, that playing against Ramjass, whom he considers to be his "little brother," requires that he tune in mentally to his game when on court "and just stay focus," and to set aside "friendship while on the court. It's about getting your priorities right."

He said this sport has also provided him with an outlet to vent and release his "stress."

He will be sitting the Caribbean Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams in the coming weeks and he says he is better able to cope with studies because he plays badminton.

He encouraged other youths, who might not be involved in sports, to consider adopting badminton as a game.

"Once you put effort into it, you will get back what you put in. Also, I think it will be something to occupy your time and might even help you stay out of trouble."

For James, badminton has taught her how to think quickly on her feet, and she also credits the sport with helping her develop self-confidence and determination.

She also urged other youths to get involved in the sport, but emphasized the importance of being dedicated to training and practicing.

She said while hitting a shuttlecock over the net in a game of badminton may appear to be easy, this was not the case.

"You have to do a lot of footwork and you have to know how to position your feet. You must understand how to move about on the court, because it can affect your game. You have to train and really learn the game."

Reno-Singh, told The Student Press said she was extremely satisfied with her performance and overjoyed that her hard work and "sacrifice" paid off.

The teenager, who has been playing the game since she was seven, is no stranger to competitions; she formed part of the team that represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2009 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico last year.

"It's a wonderful sport and it teaches you good time management. It also teaches you how to balance sports with academics. I also do well in my school work and I will encourage anyone to get into this sport," she said.

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