A Canadian immigrant from India is making waves in the fastest racquet sport, Badminton, as he now represents Canada at the age of 13 and is the youngest member of Team Canada in his age category. Shaurya Gullaiya, who migrated from New Delhi, India, in 2015, is now the youngest member of the Junior National Team in Canada.
This eighth-grader in the High Performing Athletes’ Program at Lawrence Heights Middle School is recently honoured with the Ken Giles Amateur Athlete of the Year Award by the City of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Shaurya, with an impressive background in badminton, represented Canada in the prestigious Pan-am Games and won four out of five matches at the same Championships in the Dominican Republic, where he represented Team Canada. Around 350 athletes from 17 countries were competing for gold in that competition. Gullaiya mentioned losing to a more experienced opponent in the finals and settling for a silver medal.
Despite being the youngest player in the age category and competing against older athletes, Shaurya was proud of his achievements in his first-ever international tournament. The Ken Giles Amateur Athlete of the Year Award is one of the seven honours presented by the City of Brampton’s Citizen Awards, named after former Brampton Guardian sports editor Ken Giles. Shaurya expressed that participating in the tournament was incredible, but the hot weather posed a challenge. He described the games as intense and difficult due to the diverse playing styles and strategies of players from various countries.
Gullaiya aims to represent Canada in more International tournaments, such as world championships and the Olympics. Winning the silver medal made him feel confident, happy, and excited. Shaurya is currently ranked number one in Canada in his age category in all three game categories. His story serves as a reminder that with dedication and perseverance, anyone can achieve their dreams, regardless of background or origin.
