Winners Flying Gravity lift the UBL Trophy in the presence of dignitaries.
Photo Credits: The Goan
PANAJI
Flying Gravity, owned by Achut Naik and Kishore Bandekar, emerged as the champions of the Ultimate Badminton League (UBL) 2024, securing a resounding 150-139 victory over Sparkling Stars, owned by Yogiraj Kamat, in the thrilling finale.
The annual league championship witnessed intense battles between 132 shuttlers from six teams, ultimately crowning Flying Gravity as the champions of the fourth edition of the Ultimate Badminton League.
In a riveting contest comprising 10 events, with each event consisting of 15 points, Flying Gravity showcased skill and strategy to secure victory over Sprkling stars.
Ace Raqueteers, owned by Vikas Nanu, claimed the third spot by defeating Priority Titans with a score of 150-140. Goan Rebels owned by Praveen Shenoy and Asher’s Smashers owned by Ruby Realtors were the two other teams that competed in the League.
Throughout the league, six formidable teams competed fiercely for the prestigious UBL Trophy and a significant cash prize pool of Rs 4,14,000. Yash Desai was awarded as the Outstanding Men's Player of the League, while Amit Kakkar received the award for Outstanding Veterans player.
The much-anticipated 4th edition of the Ultimate Badminton League was organized by the Goa Sports Club and Chicalim Badminton Club, under the auspices of the Goa Badminton Association.
During the League Stage, Flying Gravity stood out with four wins out of five matches, while Sparkling Stars, Priority Titans, and Ace Raqueteers each secured three wins, setting the stage for an exhilarating finale.
The winning (top 3) squads: Winners: Flying Gravity - Achut Naik and Kishore Bandekar (Team Owners), Sunny Sawant (Captain), Aryaman Saraf (Vice Captain), Aloisius Rodrigues, Asif Khan, Baljit Dogra, Devang Metha, Ganesh Pai Vernekar, Kamlesh Kanji, Karan Naik, Mahesh Kandkura, Mahesh Singh Bhandari, Manish Patel, Minar Pandit, Navin Palyekar, Pradeep Dhond, Rudra Phadte, Shamsudeen C K, Siddharth Hazra, Soham Mandrekar, Vijay Kumar, Yash Desai, and Yatish Devidas.
Runners-up: Sparkling Stars - Yogiraj Kamat (Team Owner), Karan Dhavaskar (Captain), Aditya Dessai (Vice Captain), Anuj Vernekar, Dattaprasad Parab, Haresh Chari, Jaywant Saraf, Kewal Sawant, Macchindra Shinde, Manav Shetgaonkar, Nilesh Kunkalekar, Ninad Kamat, Parag Chauhan, Prasad Patil, Saiesh Prabhu, Sashibhusan Sahoo, Satyendra Kumar, Shalil George, Shantaram Raikar, Swapnil Mahadeshwar, Unmesh Naik, and Valanko Dias.
Third Place: Ace Raqueteers - Vikas Nanu (Team Owner), Navneet Nasnodkar (Captain), Manish Pankhania (Vice Captain), Alex Colaco, Amey Desai, Amit Kakkar, Ashwin Chodankar, Atish Chodankar, Ayub C K, Ayush Kamal, Divyesh Shirsat, Gaurang Bhangui, Geetesh Dangui, Kashinath Jalmi, Kunal Sanvordekar, Mahesh Caisucar, Musthafa C A, Pankaj Naik, Pranav Naik, Rahul Deswal, Sahil Sayed, Sameer Sangodkar, and Vishal Shirodkar.
