Badminton: Gururaj emerges champion at ISC tourney

Sports Monday 19/February/2018 20:10 PM
By: Times News Service
Badminton: Gururaj emerges champion at ISC tourney

Muscat: Gururaj Hegde emerged men’s champion at the Annual Badminton Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC) and jointly sponsored by Clarion Group of Companies and Al Jizzi Company.
Gururaj played with sublime confidence in the clash for supremacy in the men’s singles and brought an end to the fine run enjoyed by challenger Dominic Kennedy and depriving him of a third title in the tournament.
Gururaj showed positive intent from the word go and took a firm grip on the match with some brilliant placements which the ever-agile Kennedy failed to negotiate.
Kennedy was equal to the task and kept Gururaj on his toes before Gururaj closed the first game. Gururaj dominated the second game as Kennedy stuggled to match up to Gururaj’s superior court-craft.
Gururaj held on to the early lead in the second game and went on to lift the men’s singles crown with a 21-18, 21-14 verdict.
The team of Gireesh Kumar and Shanith Kalloth captured the men’s doubles crown with a splendid 21-19, 21-7 victory over the duo of Binu Raghavan and Abdul Salam. Gireesh and Shanith faced resistance in the first game but played with sound understanding to keep their opponents at bay and won the nail-biting first game. Gireesh and Shanith showed no mercy in the second game and thumped their authority as Binu and Abdul Salam made no further impression and Gireesh and Shanith raced to a brilliant victory.
At a glittering awarding ceremony, chief guest Rakesh Adlakha, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of India distributed the prizes to the winners in the presence of ISC chairman Dr. Sathish Nambiar, Dinesh Raj of the Clarion Group of Companies, Madhu of Al Jizzi Company and Nikil Shahjahan of Al Raka Trading. Lucky spectators and players won dinner vouchers sponsored by Kamat Restaurant and Dawat Restaurant.