Badminton: Pakistan fall short of clean sweep

National players win three but allow Nepal to escape with one title

KARACHI: Pakistan won three of the four events in the International Badminton Series at Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Sports Complex’s Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad yesterday, while Nepal triumphed in the one event local players missed out on.

In the men’s singles event, Pakistan’s Rizwan Azam defeated compatriot Muhammad Irfan Bhatti 21-15, 21-18, and in the women’s singles event, Palwasha Bashir clinched the title at the expense of Mahoor Shahzad, who lost 13-21, 21-18 and 23-21.

The men’s doubles final was another All-Pakistan event where Azam teamed up with Kashif Ali Sulehri to oust Bhatti and Azeem Sarwar 21-14, 21-13.

Meanwhile, in the women’s doubles event, Palwasha and Saima Manzoor’s pairing overcame Sidra Hamad and Khizra Rasheed 13-21, 21-11 and 21-16 to win the final.

However, in the mixed doubles event — the only category where both the finalists were not Pakistanis, Nepal’s Ratnajtik and Nangsal Tamang triumphed, downing local pair Bhatti and Mehmoona Ameer 21-13, 21-15.

Azam, the winner of men’s singles event, expressed his pleasure at the staging of an international badminton event in Pakistan after a long time.

“Although we won most of the events, but international players whom I interacted with were still happy to play here in a good environment,” he added.

“Our players also got the chance to face foreign talent, which will help us all in preparing up for our next international assignments.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2016.

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