Janhavi, Yasmin, Anar, Anjana among title winners in Ponda showdown
PANAJI
In an edge-of-the-seat thriller, brothers Tejan and Arjun Fallary pulled off a sensational win to clinch the Men’s Doubles title at the Anil Paiginkar Memorial State Badminton Ranking Tournament for Seniors and Veterans, held at the Badminton Hall, Ponda.
The Fallary brothers overcame a stiff challenge from the formidable duo of Arjun Rehani and Ayaan Shaikh, battling back from a game down to win 15-21, 22-20, 21-18 and bring the crowd to its feet. Earlier, Arjun Rehani, a new recruit in CAG Goa office and a ranked India player, had already bagged the Men’s Singles crown with a confident 21-15, 21-16 win over top seed Nishant Shenai, and later added a second title by teaming up with Yasmin Sayed to defeat Sanath Kamat and Anar Singbal 21-14, 21-14 in the Mixed Doubles final.
In the Women’s Singles, a composed and determined Janhavi Mahale dominated second seed Shreya Mehta in straight games, 21-13, 21-12, to lift the title. In the Women’s Doubles final, the experienced pair of Anar Singbal and Anjana Kumari (2) produced a clinical performance to overcome Shivanjali Thite and Sufiya Shaikh 21-13, 21-13, wrapping up a successful tournament campaign.
Organised by Ponda Shuttlers in aegis with the Goa Badminton Association, the tournament, which carried a prize purse of 1.62 lakhs and trophies, witnessed high-quality badminton and spirited participation from Goa’s top senior players. The action-packed finals marked a fitting conclusion to a memorable edition held in tribute to the late Anil Paiginkar, a respected name in Goa’s badminton circles.
FINALS RESULTS
MS: Arjun Rehani def. Nishant Shenai (1) 21-15, 21-16
WS: Janhavi Mahale def. Shreya Mehta (2) 21-13, 21-12
MD: Arjun Fallary / Tejan Fallary def. Arjun Rehani / Ayaan Shaikh 15-21, 22-20, 21-18
WD: Anar Singbal / Anjana Kumari (2) def. Shivanjali Thite / Sufiya Shaikh 21-13, 21-13
XD: Arjun Rehani / Yasmin Sayed def. Sanath Kamat / Anar Singbal 21-14, 21-14
