Team Herald
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SANQUELIM: Crystal Badminators were crowned champions of the inaugural Sanquelim Badminton League (SBL) after outgunning LA TARA smashers in nail-biting final, at Multipurpose Stadium, Sanquelim, recently.
The winning team comprised of Mustafa Abdullah (Team owner), Pralhad Dhawaskar, Yeshwant Gaonkar, Mayushri Ajgaonkar, Rucha Barve, Anil Gawas, Rashmir Matonkar, Sadiq Attar and Navnath Gaonkar. Featuring for the runner-up squad were Yeshwant Desai (Team owner), Prasad Ajgaonkar, Rudra Phadte, Gulshan Palekar, Rohan Naik, Gajanan Khot, Nomaa Sancoalkar, Taishin Shaikh and Pratik Dhawaskar.
In the battle for 3rd and fourth place spots, Chaitanya Smashers prevailed over MLT Shuttlers.
Rudra Phadte, Rucha Barve, Rifa Shaikh and Kaushika Gaonkar were presented with promising player awards. Also, 4 prominent sportspersons namely Christie Dias & Steffi Fernandes (Beach Volleyball), Wilson D’ Souza (Badminton) and Pravin Gawas (Shooting) were felicitated on the occasion.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant distributed championship prizes and other honours in the presence of Narahar Thakur, President – Goa Badminton Association, Yeshwant Desai, President, Sanquelim Shuttlers and the SBL organising committee team.
“While coaching camps are being held regularly since May onwards, the 2020-21 tournament season has kick-started with this League championship, a novel initiative by Sanquelim Shuttlers, and players can expect a few more of such events in November and December at other centres”, expressed Sandeep Heble, the Goa Badminton Association Secretary while complimenting the organising team following the League conclusion.
The League event, organised by Sanquelim Shuttlers under the aegis of Goa Badminton Association and the Sports Authority of Goa, was the first official tournament of the season as the sport took its first step towards tournament resumption after the COVID-19 hiatus.
The first of its kind professional league for players from Bicholim and Sattari Talukas featured 90 players in all with the following 9 teams battling out for top honours.
