Kusuma returns to Munais in the men's single final
Dubai - Imam Adi Kusuma, who is a badminton coach in Dubai, won a grand double in the major categories of the super series event.
Published: Mon 18 Jan 2016, 6:49 PM
The 39th ISC APEX Open badminton tournament's first stage super series concluded at the India Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi with 12 finals for boys, women, men and masters, in front of an enthusiastic crowd from all over UAE.
Imam Adi Kusuma, who is a badminton coach in Dubai, won a grand double in the major categories of the super series event.
Kusuma emerged new men's singles champion defeating last year's runner-up Munais Mohammed, the current Kerala junior singles champion, 21-15, 21-16.
Earlier in the semis, Kusuma defeated defending champion Dea Adi Rangaa, also a coach here. Later on, he partnered Mohammed in an exciting final to defeat Alfas Kalam and Waqas Ahmed, ex-Pakistan national player, to lift the men's doubles championship, 21-15, 21-19.
"It is a great pleasure for meto be a champion in a tournament, which I am participating for the first time after coming to the UAE last year as coach," Kusuma said.
Veteran Xavier Raphael, a physical education instructor at Sharjah Indian School, won a triple by taking the masters (above 40 years) singles and doubles titles, in addition to the veteran's singles title he won earlier. Raphael defeated James Varghese, in the masters singles final, which was a repetition of the veteran's singles title round. This time too, Varghese could not match the consistency of Raphael to go down 14-21, 17-21. Later on, Raphael teamed up with Rafeek PK to win the masters doubles beating Varghese and Sajayan Balan 21-17, 21-18.
Another highlight of the super series finals was when Joshua Yap won two crowns, winning the under 18 boys singles and doubles titles. In the under 18 boys singles final, he defeated Abdulla Shaheer 21-11, 21-11 and in the under 18 boys doubles final, Yap partnered Stefan Crasto to defeat Shaheer and Rohan Jothish 21-17, 21-19.
In the title round of the veteran's doubles above 45 years category, Vinod Kodakken and Prabhakara Menon made a stunning comeback, overcoming a first game loss, before defeating Santhosh Kumar and Dinesh Nair 15-21, 21-13, 21-18.
moni@khaleejtimes.com