CCAA Champions crowned in Nova Scotia
Day Three of the 2023 CCAA Badminton National Championships had a litany of fantastic matches and great plays.
Here are the results from the final day of competition:
Consolation Round
Women’s Singles
Taylor Burton (ACAC2) took to the court and fought with renewed vigor to claim the 5th place spot in the tournament. Whitney Doucette (ACAA2) continued to battle but injury and Taylor’s relentless attack soon resulted in the loss. Taylor Burton took the match 21-13, 21-16.
Men’s Singles
Due to Narayan Ramdhani (ACAC1) retirement from the tournament, Anirudh Sharma automatically placed in 5th.
Women’s Doubles
Amber Solomon/Brianna Warwick (ACAA 2) fought a tight match against Morgan Grant/Mook Prasarn (OCAA 2). Both pairs were closely matched but in the end, the persistence of Solomon and Warwick earned them the 5th place spot. The ACAA pair took the match 19-21, 21-15, 21-19.
Men’s Doubles
Jason Chiu and Sanskar Chopra (ACAC1) challenged Ben Broadbent and Jacob Lamothe (ACAA2) with their speed and relentlessness. While it was a close first set, the ACAC pair’s teamwork and harmony lead them to the win and the 5th place spot. Chiu and Sanskar took the match 21-19, 21-12.
Mixed Doubles
Ninh Le and Deniese Scott (OCAA 2) defeated Kyle Bauld and Caitlin McCavour (ACAA 2). Despite a tough matchup, the ACAA pair forced a tight three set match against a strong OCAA team. Le and Scott demonstrated what a strong team they are as they laid claim to the 5th place spot. They took the match 21-13, 14-21, 21-7.
Bronze Medal Matches
Mixed Doubles
Davis Wong and Ivy Ung (ACAC1) fought a brave match against Jonathan Su and Jasleen Kaur (ACAC2) but ultimately fell to the 4th place spot. A strong unrelenting attack supported Su and Kaur’s efforts on the court and ultimately lead to their win over their provincial teammates. They took the match 21-15, 21-12.
Men’s Doubles
Emmanual Duguay and Anthony Olson (ACAC 2) held off Kevin Shah and Anthony Tso (OCAA 2) for the first match fairly evenly though the speed and accurate of the OCAA’s shots eventually overwhelmed them. The ACAC team took the match 21-19, 21-8.
Women’s Doubles
Anna Dugandzic and Fiona Purdy (ACAA) found themselves facing a challenging opponent in Sylvie Bibeau and Noel Do (ACAC 2). After a quick lost in the first set, the ACAC duo rallied in the second. Unfortunately, the rally was too late and the ACAC team was too far ahead to catch and force a third set. Bibeau and Do took the match 21-12, 21-17.
Men’s Singles
Vishal Dave (OCAA2), after last night’s loss, went out to the court with an aim to win and he accomplished that feat. Jack Gillies (ACAA 2) put up a valiant defence but Dave would not be stopped. He took the match 21-9, 21-6.
Women’s Singles
Moti Shams (OCAA2) had a similar mindset going onto the court against Devika Santhosh Kumar (OCAA1) though the match did not end in her favor. Kumar’s patient game play cooled the fire that was Shams play and though it took three sets, Kumar rallied and won the medal. Kumar took the game 17-21, 21-18, 21-15.
Gold Medal Matches
Mixed Doubles
Sarthak Arora and Monique Lee (OCAA) fought a tough match against Bryce Mason and Anna Gillies (ACAA). All three matches were back and forth; no one team dominated the other until the final points. Perhaps it was the allure of the gold or the hope of bringing a first place win to the ACAA but Mason and Gillies helped end the golden drought for the Atlantic Region by defeating Arora and Lee though coordinated play and consistent good judgement. They won the gold 14-21, 21-18, 21-13.
Women’s Doubles
Victoria Duong and Airi Moromisato (OCAA) were calm and poised when matched against the vibrant and chaotic Abby Ledda and Cecilia Wolski (ACAC). Unfortunately for Ledd and Wolski, Duong and Moromisato dominated the pace of match forcing the Albertans to slow down their game and defend rather than attack. The tactic worked as Duong and Moromisato won the match 21-17, 21-14.
Men’s Doubles
Nishant Batra and Sirapob Title (OCAA) were lightning quick in their attack and constant in their change ups; their pace and style of play proved difficult for Aidan Badcock-Parks and Jack Ronahan (ACAA) to respond resulted their loss to the Ontarians. A valiant effort but the OCAA pair eventually took the match 21-16, 21-13.
Women’s Singles
Ritu Shah (ACAA) proved why she was a favourite going into the tournament handily winning against Johnna Rymes (ACAC). Her poise and technical skill allowed her to plant shot exactly where they needed to be despite a few mistakes here and there. Rymes, unfortunately, seemed to have trouble finding her pace though Shah’s shot placement skills forced her into a defensive position that was near impossible to escape. Shah won the ACAA’s second gold medal of the tournament 21-6, 21-10.
Men’s Singles
Colin Zhou (OCAA) and Thomas Ashton (ACAA) was a match of opposites; Ashton, calm, deliberate and Zhou, a whirlwind of movement and attack. One can only assume that Zhou’s chaotic style of play gave Ashton trouble in finding his rhythm. Dancing around the court, Zhou placed shots in every area of Ashton’s territory forcing the ACAA player into a constant running battle that he eventually lost. Zhou won the gold 21-11, 21-10.
