MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - The top badminton players and coach in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) were honoured Friday morning as part of the 2019 OCAA Badminton Championships presented by belairdirect being hosted by the University of Toronto Mississauga.
First-year student-athlete Ramnish Kumar (India) was named OCAA Men's Badminton Player of the Year. Kumar rolled through the men's singles flight at the OCAA West Regionals, taking the crown in undefeated fashion, while not dropping a set along the way. His efforts helped Humber take the men's team title at the event. Kumar is an OCAA All-Star, a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian, and a nominee for the National Men's Player of the Year.
Rachel Wong (Hong Kong), a second-year student-athlete out of the University of Toronto Mississauga is the OCAA Women's Badminton Player of the Year. The reigning OCAA bronze medalist also had an unblemished 6-0 record at the OCAA West Regionals, leading the way in the women's singles competition. Wong is also a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian, and a nominee for the National Women's Player of the Year.
UTM's Lam Trinh is the OCAA Coach of the Year. Under Trinh's guidance, UTM has representatives in four of the five flights at provincials, including Wong in women's singles. UTM has duos in men's, women's and mixed doubles. UTM placed second in both the men's and women's team competitions at the West Regionals.
All OCAA All-Stars finished in first place at their respective regionals in their respective disciplines. Also named OCAA All-Stars were Centennial's Chirag Dave (India) and Jia Yi Feng (Toronto); George Brown's Alex Chao (Ottawa), Ann Hoang (Vietnam), Eric Kern (Desborats) and Yuge (Ace) Zeng (China); and Georgian's Courtney Brewer (Manitouwadge) and Michelle Kozlowskyj (Garson). All reached the top of the podium at East Regionals.
Humber's Harry Cotaras (Halifax, N.S.), Elizabeth Duong (Peterborough), Victoria Duong (Kitchener), Chloe Rowe (Newcastle), Arpit Taneja (India) and Ayubu Touray (Toronto) join Kumar and Wong as OCAA All-Stars out of the West Regionals.
George Brown was honoured as men's and women's team champions in the East Regionals, while Humber received recognition as the men's and women's team champions from the West Regionals.
2018-19 OCAA BADMINTON MAJOR AWARDS
OCAA Men's Player of the Year
Ramnish Kumar, Humber
OCAA Women's Player of the Year
Rachel Wong, Toronto Mississauga
OCAA Coach of the Year
Lam Trinh, Toronto Mississauga
OCAA Regional Men's Team Champions
East: George Brown Huskies
West: Humber Hawks
OCAA Regional Women's Team Champions
East: George Brown Huskies
West: Humber Hawks
OCAA All-Stars
Courtney Brewer, Georgian
Alex Chao, George Brown
Harry Cotaras, Humber
Chirag Dave, Centennial
Elizabeth Duong, Humber
Victoria Duong, Humber
Jia Yi Feng, Centennial
Ann Hoang, George Brown
Eric Kern, George Brown
Michelle Kozlowskyj, Georgian
Ramnish Kumar, Humber
Chloe Rowe, Humber
Arpit Taneja, Humber
Ayubu Touray, Humber
Rachel Wong, Toronto Mississauga
Yuge (Ace) Zeng, George Brown
- OCAA -
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Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
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E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com