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Youth in Focus: Abosaide Cadogan is multi-talented
By Edison Jefford
At age 11, she has already excelled in four sport disciplines, succeeded at the renowned National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations, where she will attend Saint Stanislaus College in September, and has plans to become
Abosaide Cadogan poses with some of her trophies and medals at home.
the quintessential student-athlete.
Abosaide Cadogan is multi-talented. The plain, well-spoken athlete started playing Lawn Tennis when she was eight years old. A year later, she began competing in the discipline where she has had most of her success in sports to-date, Badminton.
“My dad and Coach are friends from school days,” Cadogan said when asked who introduced her to Badminton. Gokarn Ramdhani is Cadogan’s coach at Yonex Badminton Club, from which she has since emerged to represent Guyana in Puerto Rico and Jamaica.
Cadogan’s father, Neil Cadogan, more popularly known as ‘Cody’ of Ruff Kut TV and Productions fame, went to Queen’s College with Ramdhani, who is also Guyana Badminton Association President.
The younger Cadogan is the current Under-13 National Badminton Champion, and won an U-11 doubles gold medal at the 2013 Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) in Puerto Rico. She won gold and bronze medals last year in Jamaica.
In addition, Abosaide started playing Table Tennis and Squash last year and went to the National Schools’ Championships to compete in the 400m and 800m in the U-12 category. She is a former student of St. Gabriel’s Primary School.
Asked which sport disciplines she will prioritise in secondary school, she bluntly said Badminton and Squash. “But I will still be going to table tennis practice at Malteenoes” she added where her Coach there is former national player, Idi Lewis.
“I am not done with athletics either, I will still try to participate when there is school sports,” she continued. Cadogan made it clear that she wants to compete in sports professionally. For her age, she clearly knows how to balance academia and sports.
“Before Common Entrance (NGSA), I had to ease off sports a little, so I can study; I know what it is to do both – it will go half and half in secondary school,” she asserted, before informing that she will be 12 years old on September 24, weeks after she is a first former at Saints.
Asked what advice she would give to those other aspiring student-athletes, Abosaide took a lengthy pause, obviously to gather her thoughts, before responding in a manner that belied her age. It was a moment that certified her apparent intellect.
“I would like to say that if you are in school, it does not mean that you cannot play sports. You need the relaxation; you should balance it. Education is the key to success; study when you have exams and practice when you have sports and you can be successful,” she counselled.
Abosaide indicated that her favourite dishes are cook-up rice and squash. In addition, she enjoys reading and spelling.
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