1 week Ago By Mid-day
Top seed Namita Mehta-Vijayakar of JVPG, Juhu showcased nerves of steel and exceptional grit to overcome a spirited challenge from second seed Priya Ambekar of MCF in a thrilling finale to claim the Women’s 45 Singles title at the GD Birla Memorial Masters Inter-Club Badminton Tournament, co-hosted by Bombay Gymkhana.Namita started strong, breezing through the opening game 21-11, but Priya bounced back with renewed determination to take the second game 21-16. The decider proved to be an edge-of-the-seat affair, with both players battling tooth and nail for every point.
Ultimately, Namita held her composure under pressure to edge past Priya 22-20 and seal the championship in a gripping encounter.In the 110+ Men`s Doubles final, top seeds Ayaz Bilawala and Rajesh D`Souza of Bombay Gymkhana were stunned by the dynamic duo of Prashant Mukherjee and Vilas Kuvale from RTISC, Ulwe. After dropping the first game 14-21, Mukherjee and Kuvale rallied to take the next two games 21-19, 21-16 and secure a memorable upset.
The Men`s 45 Singles category also saw a notable upset in the semi-finals, as unseeded Sachin Bharati toppled second seed Gautam Lad 21-11, 16-21, 21-19 in a hard-fought contest. Bharati will now face top seed Rajan Samant in the final. Samant displayed dominant form in his semi-final clash, defeating Prashant Shah with a straight-games victory of 21-12, 21-16.
Meanwhile, in the Elite Cup segment of the Team Championships, Bombay Gym A and MIG Cricket Club advanced to the semi-finals with contrasting performances. Bombay Gym recorded a clinical 2-0 sweep over CCI, while MIG Cricket Club overcame a stiff challenge from MCA to emerge 2-1 victors and keep their title hopes alive.Brief scores:TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - ELITE CUP -Quarter finalBombay Gymkhana A beat CCI 2-0; Vanita Samaj A Team beat Catholic Gymkhana 0-2; Goregaon Sports Club beat Masters Sports Club Llp 2-1; MCA A lost to MIG Cricket Club 1-2MS 45 - Semi-finalSachin Bharati beat Gautam Laud [2] 21-11, 16-21 21-19; Rajan Samant [1] beat Prashant Shah 21-12, 21-16WS 45 - Semi finalNamita Mehta-Vijayakar [1] beat Ajita Ravindran 21-10, 18-21, 22-20; Safiya Anjum Farooqui lost to Priya Ambekar [2] 8-21, 10-21WS 45 - FinalNamita Mehta-Vijayakar [1] lost to Priya Ambekar [2] 21-11, 16-21, 20-22MD 110+ - Semi finalAyaz Bilawala [1]/Rajesh Dsouza beat Anand Vithalkar/ Vipool Patel 21-5, 21-13MD 110+ - FinalAyaz Bilawala [1]/Rajesh Dsouza lost to Prashant Mukherjee/Vilas Kuvale 21-14, 19-21, 16-21TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - PLATE CUP - Quarter finalBombay Gymkhana B lost to Cc Baddies 2 (1-2); Mcf A beat All India Balkanji Bari 2-1; Wcg A beat Garware Club House 2-0; Jolly A beat Vanita Samaj B Team 2-1.
