Pakistan win badminton doubles title

Pakistan’s Rizwan Azam and Kashif Sulehri won the men’s doubles title in the Syrian International Series 2010.

The Pakistani duo, ranked 147th in the world and who also won the doubles title in the Maldives International Badminton Challenge 2010 in May, defeated Bahrain’s pair of Ebrahim Jafar Al Sayed Jafar Setiawan Heri in straight sets 21-18, 21-18.

Earlier in the semi-final,  Azam and Sulehri stunned the favourite and the 77th ranking pair in the world,  Iran’s Shahhosseini Ali and Kheradmandi Mohammadreza  with a 21-13, 19-21, 21-9 win to secure an unexpected place in the final.

“It was an important win for Pakistan,” Pakistan Badminton federation Vice-President Syed Naqi Mohsin told The Express Tribune.

“If they win at least three more events in the international circuit the duo has a fair chance of qualifying for the London Olympics 2012. It is a great achievement because these players are immensely talented and they have reached this level without any coaches and standard facilities available in Pakistan.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2010.