The Lanzarote Under-15 badminton team was proclaimed champion of the Canary Islands in the championship held last weekend from May 10 to 12 in the Miguel Ángel Díaz Molina pavilion of Puerto de la Cruz, in Tenerife. This regional competition is part of the Canary Islands School Age Championship, organized by the General Directorate of Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands.
The team made up of Atenea Morales, Dayanna Gómez, Sofía Gómez, Bruno Andrés Fernández, Eduardo Curbelo, Neyen González faced the El Hierro team in the quarterfinals, winning by a resounding 5 to 0, in the semifinals they defeated the Fuerteventura team by a score of 4 to 1 and in the final they defeated the island of Tenerife by a tight 3 to 2.
In the individual women's competition, Atenea Morales was crowned as the Under-15 champion of the Canary Islands after an exciting final against Celia Cabrera from Tenerife. The match culminated in an exciting score of 14-21, 21-16, 21-18, reflecting the intensity and skill of both players. Before reaching the final, Morales had to overcome a challenging semifinal against Julia Gopar from Fuerteventura, where she demonstrated her superiority with a result of 21-11 and 21-13. The level of play exhibited by the Lanzarote Raqueta Club player in this category was exceptional, highlighting the talent and dedication that characterizes Morales. Atenea Morales' victory is a testament to her skill and effort, as well as a source of pride for the island's sports community.
Eduardo Curbelo, a prominent player from the Lanzarote Raqueta Club, won the silver medal in the Canary Islands Championship in the Under-15 men's singles category. Curbelo, with a remarkable performance throughout the tournament, demonstrated his talent and determination in each match. In the quarterfinals, Curbelo faced his teammate Bruno Fernández in a hard-fought match, managing to prevail with a final score of 21-14 and 21-12. In the semifinals, the challenge was even greater when facing David Cortés from Tenerife, but Curbelo demonstrated his mental and physical strength, securing victory with a tight score of 23-21 in the first set and 21-14 in the second.
The final was an exciting and disputed match until the last point. Eduardo Curbelo showed a solid game, however, the balance tilted in favor of the talented chicharrero player Diego Pérez, in a match that kept the audience on edge. The final score reflected the intensity of the match with a result of 21-15 in the first set and 24-22 in an equally disputed second set. Despite the defeat in the final, Eduardo Curbelo's performance throughout the championship has been exceptional, highlighting his skill, fight and competitive spirit.
Another significant achievement obtained by the Lanzarote Raqueta Club players in the Under-15 category was that of the couple formed by Bruno Fernández and Eduardo Curbelo who secured the bronze medal in the men's doubles category, after an outstanding performance. In an exciting match for third and fourth place, Fernández and Curbelo demonstrated their dominance on the court by defeating the El Hierro couple made up of Fabián Hernández and Nicolás Pérez. The match was an exhibition of skill and strategy by the Lanzarote couple, who managed to prevail with a resounding score of 21-10 and 21-8, thus securing the bronze medal.
Another meritorious third place obtained in the Under-15 category, in the women's doubles category, was that of the couple formed by Atenea Morales and Dayanna Gómez, who were eliminated in the semifinals by the Gómez Celia Cabrera and Julia Gopar couple by a score of 12-21 14-21.
Regarding the Under-17 category, the Lanzarote team made up of: Luis Hernández, Raúl Hernández, Adrián Carabalí, Paula Spadafora, Graciela Muggler and Martina Negrín obtained a meritorious third place after defeating the La Palma team by a score of 3 to 2. In the semifinals, the Lanzarote team was defeated by the Tenerife team, which ultimately won first place in the final they played with the Fuerteventura team.
Brothers Luis and Raúl Hernández, players from the Lanzarote Raqueta Club, shone in the men's doubles category of the Under-17 category. Their outstanding performance earned them a well-deserved third place after winning in an exciting match for third and fourth place against the couple from the island of La Gomera, made up of Samuel Andrés Contreras and Aday Negrín. The superiority of Luis and Raúl on the court was evident with a resounding score of 7-21 and 12-21, thus securing their position on the podium.
The championship obtained by Atenea Morales, the runner-up by Eduardo Curbelo and the third places by Bruno Fernández and Eduardo Curbelo, Atenea Morales and Dayanna Gómez and the third place in men's doubles by Luis Hernández and Raúl Hernández reflect the talent and commitment, as well as the solid work carried out by the Lanzarote Raqueta Club in the development of young talents in the sport of badminton.
Atenea Morales and Eduardo Curbelo achieved first place in women's singles and second place in men's singles in the Under-15 category and have directly qualified for the Spanish Championship to be held from June 20 to 23, 2024 in Huelva.
