Ricketts eyes top 100 ranking by May 2024
Published:Tuesday | June 27, 2023 | 1:09 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
Samuel Ricketts put his local badminton rivals on notice following a strong showing at the recently concluded Peru Future series.
Ricketts competed in men’s singles where he reached the quarterfinals and in tandem with England’s Kevin Koon Fung, the pair took the gold medal in men’s doubles. In mixed doubles action with teammate Tahlia Richardson, the pair lost at the semifinal stage.
In her individual event Richardson reached the round of 32 phase of the women’s singles.
Ricketts, who added crucial points towards booking a historic first appearance at the 2024 Olympic Games, said that having a never-say-die attitude is the right way to approach the sport of badminton.
“In sports, it’s always a roller coaster filled with ups and downs but you have to put the work in and pick yourself up, then things will always trend upwards,”Ricketts said. Her added that players who want to get to the top should learn to keep fighting and never give up.
Speaking on the achievement of reaching the semifinals of the mixed doubles where they narrowly lost 12-21, 21-19, 25-27 to Peru’s Jose Guevara and Ines Salazar, Ricketts stated that the main aim was to bring back the gold medal but they fell slightly short of the intended target.
“It was really good. We wanted the gold as we played really well, we had the game in hand but lost a little bit towards the end. But, in terms of our growth and maturity it felt like a gold medal. It was also a really good experience to be out there and obviously getting some silverware,” he said.
‘Nice to be back’
Currently listed on the men’s singles rankings at 186, the country’s ace badminton player added that despite falling off the rails a bit following the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s happy with his current ranking but hopes to crack the top 100 by May 2024.
“It feels nice to be back up there, my highest ranking is 160 which was about two to three years ago, but after the pandemic it took a hit. But now, I’m getting back in the flow of things and playing better while challenging other top athletes. So, it’s good to be back in the top 200 and I’m looking forward to see if I can break into the top 100 by end of May next year,” he said.
With the 2024 Olympic Games on the horizon, Ricketts believes booking a spot in France will show that Jamaica can compete on the world stage in areas of non-traditional sports.
“For Jamaica, it would show that we can compete at the highest level, not just in athletics, football or netball. It’s probably cliché, but it will also show that we’re little, but tallawah as we have heart and fortitude,” he concluded.