Indian High School shuttlers sizzle

Indian High defeated Gems Our Own Indian 3-0 to win the under-16 final.

The region's top young badminton players joined their idols on Sunday, as they competed in the Grand Finals of the Shuttle Time Dubai Schools Championships on the final day of competition in the Dubai World Superseries Finals at the Hamdan Sports Complex.
The excited youngsters who have been watching the world's best in action all week, had qualified for the finals by winning their age groups at the Shuttle Time Dubai Schools Championships in April and October this year. More than 440 players from 30 schools participated in the championships throughout the year.
And in a treat for the young players, they were presented their trophies by two players contesting the Dubai World Superseries Finals - Japanese women's doubles player Kurumi Yonao and mixed doubles player Ayane Kurihara.
After some outstanding performances throughout the year it was the Indian High School who again dominated the competition winning four of the six age categories with boys' under-12, girls' under-14 and boys' and girls' under-16 triumphs.
In the boys' under-12 category Indian High defeated Our Own High Al Warqa'a, 2-1, while in the girls' under-14, young badminton star Tanisha Crasto was too strong for Gems Our Own Indian, helping her team to a 3-0 win.
In the under-16 categories, Indian High girls defeated GEMS Our Own English 2-1, with the boys taking a 3-0 win over Gems Our Own Indian.
The girls' under-12 category was a fierce contest, with all three matches going to three games before Gems Our Own English ran out winners over Dubai Gem.
And in the only category contested by the Indian High School which they were not able to win, Our Own High School Al Warqa'a took a tight 2-1 victory in the boys' under-14 category after a close doubles match.
Jaffer Ebrahim; Dubai Badminton Development Manager, said, "The Schools Championships this year have been a great success. With competitions throughout the year we are seeing a remarkable improvement in the standard of play and in the commitment to developing badminton in the schools.
For these children to play at this venue while their heroes are in action is a wonderful experience, and for them to meet two of the players who qualified for the Dubai World Superseries Finals is the icing on the cake."