Dubai: The 41st edition of the Friends Provident International presents India Club UAE Open badminton tournament men’s singles competition produced a new champion in Somi Ramdani, an Indonesian based in Dubai.
Ramdani outplayed Munawar Mohammad, who hails from India and is a former triple champion from Kerala state, 21-14, 21-8.
Ramdani has been living in the UAE since June 2017 and it is his first singles triumph since coming here. He was the semi-finalist in the men’s singles and doubles events in the Indian Social Centre, Abu Dhabi, tournament earlier this year and won the men’s doubles title in the Kerala Open Badminton Invitation Tournament this year. He made a mark on the junior circuit in Indonesia and was even ranked No. 2 at the school level in Indonesia prior to his arrival in the UAE.
The women’s singles final saw Tanisha Crasto emerge as the champion for the second consecutive year. She stopped Nida Najeeb 21-10, 21-11 in the final. This 15-year-old rising star, who is an India Club member and a student of India High School, had stunned everyone by winning the mixed doubles title partnering Ketan Chahal for the third consecutive year. She also continued to dominate in the under 19 singles.
In the Under-13 and Under-15 girls singles finals, another rising star in Tanika Sequeira cornered the limelight with her never-say-die spirit and powers of concentration. In the girls singles under-13 final, she defeated Rinitha Rajith 21-16, 15-21, 21-13. Her ability to fight back after losing a set saw her claiming the Under-15 title as well against the same opponent with a 23-21, 17-21, 23-21 scoreline.
Over Dh60,000 was given away in cash prizes to the winners. Close to 30 matches were played daily for 25 days during the tournament since it commenced on April 17.
Other results:
Men’s doubles: Somi Ramdani / Imam Adi Kusuma bt Ketan Chahal / Jaffer Ebrahim 21-8, 21-13.
Women’s doubles: Princess Ferlyn Castro Arenas / Jenalyn Dimaculangan bt
Meeta Bhandari / Preeti Arun Kumar 21-11, 21-19
Mixed doubles: Ketan Chahal / Tanisha Crasto bt Somi Ramdani / Ana Rose Espinosa 21-19, 21-16.
Girls singles U-9: Vaidhahi Kalidasan bt Tanerika Gurav 21-7, 21-6.
Boys singles U-9: Riyan Malhan bt Nithin Prakash Ramasamy 21-14, 21-6.
Girls singles U-11: Danica Ferrao bt Sakshi Prakash Kurbhelgi 12-21, 21-14, 21-12
Boys singles U-11: Rishab Kalidasan bt Noel Cherian 21-8, 21-11.
Boys singles U-13: Dev Vishnu bt Hiraan Rasi 21-17, 21-15.
Boys singles U-15: Shourya Mukund Joshi bt Nabhan Najeeb 21-11, 22-17.
Girls doubles U-15: Arunima K. Biju / Thanseeha Charivupur Biju bt Sanika Gurav / Tanika Sequeira 17-21, 21-14, 21-19.
Boys doubles U-15: Bharath Latheesh / Nabhan Najeeb bt Sujan Sai / John Kenji Perez 21-15, 21-18.
Girls singles: U-17: Nida Najeeb bt Irene Elsa Alexander 21-11, 21-14
Boys singles U-17: Shourya Joshi bt Raza Ali Adil 21-16, 21-10.
Boys doubles U-17: Abhishek Dinesh / Omar Sherif Madhathil bt Shourya Mukund Joshi / Aakash Ravi Kumar 22-20, 21-19.
Girls singles U-19: Tanisha Crasto bt Irene Elsa Alexander 21-6, 21-3
Boys singles U-19: Vasanthkumar Rajendran bt Omar Sherif Madhathil 21-12, 21-15 .
