Top ranked junior to fly Kenyan flag in Canada

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Young top seeded badminton player Krisha Ghia will represent Kenya at the 2018 BWF World Junior Championship to be held in Canada from November 5 to November 18.

The 15-year-old Kisumu-based player made it to the national badminton team for the first time in her life after winning all her national and local badminton tournaments this year.

Coached by retired former Kenya number one Victor Odera, Ghia will be hoping to take her dominance of the game to Canada after emerging the champion in the just concluded Nyanza Badminton Open last month.

Ghia also won the Kenya National Schools Sports Association Badminton championships back in July and took bronze in the East African Secondary Schools Championship held on August in Rwanda.

“As the coach, I will be happy if she reaches the knock out stages. But I know her strengths and she will deliver for Kenya,” said Odera who topped Kenya for almost 20 years.

Krisha Ghia and Shana Patel will represent Kenya in the girl’s category as Urjan Shah, Ujval Shah and Meer Solanki appear in the boy’s category.

“My target is to get to the semi-finals. But winning the world championships will be a dream come true for me and my family,” Ghia said.

Badminton World Federation President Poul-Erik Hoyer in a press statement said he expects over 600 athletes from 55 countries worldwide to take part.