G D Birla Memorial Masters Badminton Tournament: Rajan Samant Rallies To Beat Nikhil Chari For Title

Host club Bombay Gymkhana’s Rajan Samant ended the fine run of Nikhil Chari, representing Lodha Bellissimo, winning the keenly contested Men Singles 45 final in the G D Bira Memorial Masters Badminton Tournament, organized by Badminton 45, managed by Badminton Gurukul and hosted by Bombay Gym at their courts, here, late on Sunday.

The Unidoubles final was a one-sided affair with top seeds Naheed Divecha and Shailesh Daga, also representing Bombay Gym, getting the better of their club mates Ayaz Bilawala and Gauram Ashra, the second seeds, 21-9, 21-9.

Samant, who lost the first game 17-21, showed resilience and character in the second, prevailing 25-23 in the tough contest, which saw the lead change hands several times, as both players fought hard to gain the upper hand. Samant’s superior fitness proved decisive as he cruised home quite comfortably in the decider, winning 17-21, 25-23, 21-15.

The Team event witnessed some close matches in the round robin stage, with Chembur Gym defeating MCF A 2-1 and MIG getting the better of the MCA B by the same margin.

Results:

MS 45 (Final):

Rajan Samant bt Nikhil Chari - 17-21, 25-23, 21-15.

UNIDOUBLES (Final):

Naheed Divecha/Shailesh Daga[1] bt Ayaz Bilawala/Gautam Ashra[2] - 21-9 21-9.