DSCC badminton tournament keenly poised

Dubai - India's Tanisha Crasto to compete in three different categories

The badminton men's singles semifinal of the Dubai Sports Community Club's (DSCC) tournament will be a celebration of Dubai's rich cultural and ethnic diversity with four players from four different nations flying their country's flag.
The last-four bookings will see China's Che Liang take on Pakistan's Munzar Abdul Rahman in the first semis on Friday, September 11, while India's Sachin Seth will meet Syria's Mahmoud Taifour for the second spot in the final, according to a press release.
Seth made it the last four with a thrilling 15-11, 11-15, 15-6 win over China's Zhou Wei on Friday, the opening day of the tournament at Dubai Sports World, Dubai World Trade Centre.
Taifour, meanwhile, made the grade defeating Nepal's Sahil Chand 15-6, 15-5, while Abdul Rehman subdued Indonesia's Chairul Rijal Hafidz 15-4, 15-4, and Che Liang prevailed 15-13, 15-13 over India's James Varghese.
In the women's singles, 17-year old Tanisha Crasto - India's top-ranked junior doubles player who has represented the country at the World Junior Badminton Championships - will open her campaign on Friday against UAE's Bushra Mohammed Najjar. If she wins that match, Tanisha will take on China's Diana Wu, who defeated Yoshita Meher Ahmed of Sri Lanka 15-0, 15-2 in her opening match.
Tanisha will have a busy day on Friday because she will also feature in the women's doubles semifinal, alongside Vidya Manghnani. Receiving a first round bye, the pair will take on the Sri Lankan duo of A Ashana Maith and CK Kakerideniya, who defeated Roudha Al Helli and Sarah Al Jallaf of UAE in their opening match.
Tanisha has also received a bye into the mixed double semifinals alongside James Varghese, and the two will take on the Chinese pair of Che Liang and Diana Wu for a place in the final. The other semifinal will see Vicente Reyes and Len Maria of the Philippines face-off against the Nepalese pair Bikki Budha and Gyanu Maya Baral.
Being organised by Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai Sports Community Club's Tournament features players and teams from 14 social clubs and communities of Dubai, including India Club, Pakistani Club, Jordanian Social Club, Sudanese Social Club, Egyptian Social Club, Filipino Social Club, the Lebanese Community, the Syrian Community, the Nepalese Community, the Sri Lankan Community, the American Community, the Indonesian Community, the Yemeni Community and the Chinese Community.
The tournament is seeing competition in four different sports - badminton, basketball, football and cricket - with matches being played on two Fridays - September 4 and 11.

RESULTS Badminton Men's singles (1st round): James Varghese (India) bt Seiyadu M Maulana (Sri Lanka) 15-7, 15-5; Che Liang (China) bt Rajendra Singh Saud (Nepal) 15-3, 15-3; Munzar Abdul Rehman (Pakistan) bt Salah Al Faqeh (Yemen) 15-0, 15-2; Chairul Rijal Hafidz (Indonesia) bt Miguel Ribo (Philippines) 15-11, 15-5; Sachin Seth (India) bt GLTD Samarathilaka (Sri Lanka) 15-0, 15-2; Zhou Wei (China) bt Muhammad Ali Flamerzi (UAE) 15-8, 15-1; Sahil Chand (Nepal) bt Khurram Javed Butt (Pakistan) 15-5, 15-11; Mahmoud Taifour (Syria) bt Michael Nucop Shapcotte (Philippines) 9-15, 15-10, 15-6. Men's singles (quarterfinals): Sachin Seth (India) bt Zhou Wei (China) 15-11, 11-15, 15-6; Munzar Abdul Rehman (Pakistan) bt Chairul Rijal Hafidz (Indonesia) 15-4, 15-4; Che Liang (China) bt James Varghese (India) 15-13, 15-13; Mahmoud Taifour (Syria) bt Sahil Chand (Nepal) 15-6, 15-5. Women's singles (1st round): Diana Wu (China) bt Yoshita Meher Ahmed (Sri Lanka) 15-0, 15-2; Muna Tamang (Nepal) bt Roudha Al Helli (UAE) 15-0, 15-0; Jenni Escolar (Philippines) bt Shawq Hamid (UAE) 15-4, 15-4; Tanika Sequeira (India) bt Jean Lim (Philippines) 15-1, 15-0; Saniya Chand (Nepal) bt Sarah Al-Jallaf (UAE) 15-0, 15-0; Dima Khafaji (Syria) beat Mona Al Sahlawi (UAE) 15-8, 15-9; Kalaranjani Yisavalinga (Sri Lanka) beat Shaima Ahmed (UAE) 10-15, 15-13, 15-7. Women's Singles (quarterfinals): Tanika Sequeira (India) bt Saniya Chand (Nepal) 15-0, 15-3; Jenni Escolar (Philippines) bt Muna Tamang (Nepal) 15-4, 15-2. Men's Doubles (1st round): Rohith Haridas & Shibil CP (India) bt Basile Qasim Agha & Muhammad Al Khatib (Syria) 15-8, 15-4; Ricky Li & Van (China) bt Mahmoud Taifour & Tariq Al Najjar (Syria) 15-5 15-8; Michael Nucop Shapcotte & Vicente Reyes (Philippines) bt Bikki Budha & Shankar Bhusal (Nepal) 15-10, 15-13; Farrukh Iqbal Anjum & Munzar Abdul Rehman (Pakistan) bt Ahamed Ali Zeen & Seiyadu M Maulana (Sri Lanka) 15-3, 15-3. Women's Doubles 1st Round: A Ashana Maith & CK Kakerideniya (Sri Lanka) bt Roudha Al Helli & Sarah Al-Jallaf 15-0, 15-0. Mixed Doubles 1st Round: Bikki Budha & Gyanu Maya Baral (Nepal) bt Mahmoud Taifour & Dima Khafaji (Syria) 15-7, 15-5; Che Liang & Diana Wu (China) bt Muhammad Ali Flamerzi & Roudha Al Helli (UAE) 15-0, 15-0; Vicente Reyes & Len Maria (Philippines) bt Ahamed Ali Zeen & Kalaranjani Yisavalinga (Sri Lanka) 15-1, 15-5.