Anil Seepaul turns back the clock at badminton tourney

ANIL Seepaul was eliminated in the round of 16 in the qualification phase of the TT International Badminton 2025 tournament at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua, on November 5.

Seepaul, one of this country’s top men’s players in past years, lost to Jamaican Stephen Lue-Yen 21-12, 21-17. Earlier in the day, Seepaul, now in his late forties, showed he can still compete against players younger than him when he defeated Barbadian Isaiah Hinds 21-18, 21-12 in the round of 32.

Dejaun Williams of Trinidad and Tobago also lost to a Jamaican opponent in the round of 16, falling to Daniel Ford 19-21, 21-16, 18-21.

In other round of 16 matches, Yannic Inniss got the better of TT teammate Zamir Ali in an intense contest 18-21, 21-14, 22-20 and Ethan Ramcharan was the other TT player to advance to the quarterfinals after beating Barbadian Kaden Stuart 21-11, 21-15. Other players to advance were Jamaican Matthew Yee-Grant with a 20-22, 21-17, 21-14 win over TT’s Kaveer Ramoutar; Jamaican Tijae Hinds over Aadil Singh of TT (21-17, 21-19); Jamaica’s Kenneth Anglin over TT’s Sheraz Nabbie (21-15, 21-15); and Jamaican Matthew Ogle advanced with a 21-17, 15-21, 21-7 victory over TT’s Jonathan Julien.

The TT players had mixed results in the early round of the 32 matches,

Ali defeated Barbadian Shailon Johnson 21-16, 16-21, 21-18; Williams whipped Barbadian Samuel Humphrey 21-8, 21-13; and Ogle got past TT’s Aadil Singh 22-20, 21-15.

There were multiple TT showdowns with Ramcharan getting past Verone Salick 21-8, 21-12; Singh outlasted Roger Moore 21-19, 21-15; Inniss cruised past Nihal Nowbut 21-7, 21-8; and Nabbie battled hard to beat Dante Homer 21-18, 13-21, 21-16.