Karim beaten, Belmar fails to progress at Youth Olympics

It was a rough day for Trinidad and Tobago’s athletes, swimmer Breanna Belmar and badminton ace Samiya Karim, on day two of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal on Monday.

Karim, returning to the badminton court after a 21-1, 21-5 loss to Chinese Taipei’s Chihyun Cheng in the Women’s Singles on Saturday, did not have the fortunes she was hoping for against France’s Neela Lengue-te at the Dakar Arena. Sixteen-year-old Karim was beaten in the first set 21-12.

Karim entered the contest with the credit of sweeping the women’s singles and doubles titles in the under-17 division at the 2025 National Championships at the National Racquet Centre in Orange Grove, Tacarigua. And she also lifted the twin-island Republic to international fame with gold medals in the women’s doubles in Costa Rica, as well as at the Carebaco Championships held in Bridgetown, Barbados, last year.

However, all of Karim’s previous achievements were overshadowed by the superior performance of French ace Lengue-te, who secured victory in the second set with a score of 21-18, in a match that lasted a total of 23 minutes. The result puts Lengue-te in with a chance to progress if she can hold off Cheng in the final Group D contest today. Only the winner of the group advances.

Karim, on the other hand, will face Maryame Cisse of Senegal today in her final match. National coach Zeudi Mack gave the assurance that while the standard of competition at the Games is one that they are not accustomed to, she will attempt to guide Karim to a lone victory against the Senegalese.

Also in the group, Cheng was in the winner’s row by beating Cisse in straight sets 2-0 (21-2, 21-1 in 18 minutes).

Meanwhile, Belmar could not secure the top spot in heat five of the women’s 100-metre freestyle. Belmar, competing in lane 6, had a reaction time of 0.71 seconds, which was among the slowest in the eight-woman field, as only the winners of the eight heats advanced to the final.

Still, however, she powered her way past her opponents to be the second-fastest swimmer to make the split at the 50-metre mark. But she could not maintain her speed in the second 50 metres and faded into sixth position with a time of 1:02.77 seconds.

Kenya’s Macrine Kolombo of Ghana sealed the lone qualifying berth with her victory in 1:0118, with Jada Yankey of Ghana taking the runner-up position in 1:02.15, which followed a reaction time of 0.74. Maryam Javadova of Azerbaijan completed the top three by stopping the clock at 1:02.53.

The action continues today with T&T’s Jaden Mills set to make his debut at the Games in the men’s 50-metre freestyle. Belmar will also contest the women’s equivalent at 6.11 am this morning.