Indian players dominated the podium at the 9th Lagos International Badminton Classics, winning three of the five available titles at the tournament.
Tankara Talasila won the men’s singles title after defeating compatriot and training partner, Hmar Laithazuala, in a keenly contested final.
The Indian players also emerged victorious in the women’s doubles, with the Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, defeating compatriots Kwripriya Selvam and Simpran Singhi in the final.
In the mixed doubles, India’s Dhuv Ramat and Katie Maneesha defeated compatriots Sathwik Kanapuram and Radhike Sharma to claim the gold medal.
In the women’s singles, 19-year-old Prakriti Bharath of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) defeated Petra Maixnerova of Czechia to win the title.
In the men’s doubles, Thailand’s Thanawin Madee and Madee Pongsakom defeated UAE’s Bharath Latheesh and Dev Vishnu to claim the gold medal.
Speaking at the end of the competition, Lekan Abdul, a board member of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), commended the Lagos state government in collaboration with the federation for successfully hosting the international tournament.
“The Lagos State government has been the major sponsor from the very first edition of this tournament and till now we are still enjoying the same support even as we look forward to the 10th edition of the championship next year”.
“Today, we are not just celebrating the finals but excellence, sportsmanship and profound sports organisation.
“We celebrate all the athletes that participated in this epic tournament. They all competed well, the winners and the rest.
“We also celebrate our sponsors, AVIS, Rapide Logistics, Noble Serve Finance Ltd. and Sovereign Trust Insurance, that we contacted just 48 hours ago and they responded well.
“Initially, it was almost impossible for us to host this tournament, but we thank the BFN family for their efforts. Everybody put in their best.
“We also thank our host, the National Institute for Sports, for being a wonderful host,” he said.
Talasila, the men’s singles winner, told newsmen that the final against his friend and training partner was a difficult encounter.
“I feel so happy winning this competition, being my first time in Africa and Nigeria, but the win came at a difficult moment, playing against a friend and training partner.
“I played against a good friend who knows the pattern of my playing, which made it difficult for me, but in the end, Nigeria is special,” he said.
Dignitaries at the event includes the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu; Director of Competition, LSSC, Nunayon Travih; and other BFN board members, among others.
