Indians dominate the podium at the ninth Lagos International Badminton Classic

Indian players dominated the podium at the ninth Lagos International Badminton Classic, winning three of the five titles available in the tournament.

Tankara Talasila won the men’s singles title after defeating his compatriot and training partner, Hmar Laithazuala, in a closely contested final.

Indian players also emerged victorious in women’s doubles, with the Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, defeating their compatriots Kwripriya Selvam and Simpran Singhi in the final.

In mixed doubles, India’s Dhuv Ramat and Katie Maneesha defeated compatriots Sathwik Kanapuram and Radhike Sharma to claim the gold medal.

In women’s singles, 19-year-old Prakriti Bharath of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) defeated Petra Maixnerova of the Czech Republic to win the title.

In men’s doubles, Thanawin Madee and Madee Pongsakom of Thailand defeated Bharath Latheesh and Dev Vishnu of the United Arab Emirates to claim the gold medal.

Speaking at the end of the competition, Lekan Abdul, board member of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), commended the Lagos State Government in collaboration with the federation for successfully organizing the international tournament.

“The Lagos State Government has been the title sponsor since the first edition of this tournament and we continue to enjoy the same support till now even as we look forward to the 10th edition of the championship next year.”

“Today we not only celebrate the final, but also excellence, sportsmanship and a deep sports organization.

“We celebrate all the athletes who 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, who we contacted just 48 hours ago and responded well.

“At first we found it almost impossible to organize this tournament, but we thank the BFN family for their efforts. Everyone gave their best.

“We also thank our host, the National Sports Institute, for being a wonderful host,” he said.

Talasila, winner of the men’s singles championship, told reporters that the final against his friend and training partner was a difficult match.

“I feel very happy to win this competition, being my first time in Africa and Nigeria, but the victory came at a difficult time, playing against a friend and training partner.

“I played against a good friend who knows my way of playing, which made it difficult for me, but in the end Nigeria is special,” he said.

Among the dignitaries present at the event were the Director General of Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu; Competition Director, LSSC, Nunayon Travih; and other members of the BFN board of directors, among others.