Kusuma and Crasto clinch titles at UAE Open Badminton tournament

Dubai-based Indonesian Imam Adi Kusuma defeated compatriot Fahmi Mubarok to clinch the men’s singles title at the 42nd edition of the India Club UAE Open Badminton tournament.

Kusuma started well and dominated the opening set easily but was taken aback by his rival Mubarok in the second.

Kusuma managed to overcome Mubarok in the third to win the final 21-9, 13-21, 21-18.

Another Dubai’s rising star Tanisha Crasto downed Palwasha Bashir 21-13, 21-19 to win the ladies singles final.

Tanisha’s three doubles and mixed doubles gold medals in sub-junior tournaments in Nagpur and Hyderabad made her India’s top-ranked under-17 doubles player.

Meanwhile, Kusuma later went on to partner Crasto and defeat the pair of Mubarok and Vivian Silva 21-15 and 21-16 to win the mixed doubles title.

The men’s doubles was won by Kusuma and Marselinus Nanda Dewagraha defeating Choirunnizar Chan and Korenelius Mujiono by straight sets of 21-19, 21-18.

In the junior categories, Alexia Alexander stopped Vaidhahi Kalidasan 22-20, 21-8 for title while Boys singles Under-9 title was won by Nithin Prakash Ramasamy defeating Yodh Soppin 21-17, 21-04.

Ridwan Hassan, Consul General of Indonesia, Dubai, Vasu Shroff (Chairman India Club), Sunil Singh (Board of Trustee and Head of the UAE Open Badminton Tournament Organising Committee), Neeraj Agarwal, te Head of Chancery & Counsul (Press, Information, Culture, Protocol & RTI) at the Indian Consulate in Dubai, Munmun Lamba (Marketing Manager, Friends Provident International), Vivek Kelshiker (Sports Secretary), Mohit Sain (Regional Director, Air India Gulf, ME & Africa) and Qomarruzaman, the Consul for Consular Affairs at Indonesia Consulate Dubai were present during the closing ceremony of the tournament.

This edition of the tournament was the largest in 42 years with 674 entries in 36 different categories from 12 different countries.