IRAN DOMINATES THE SYRIAN INTERNATIONAL

Some three weeks ago when Mongolia hosted its International Series, home- based players scooped up the major honours, winning three of five titles. But over at the Doma Hall in Damascus recently, local players played the good host instead, allowing their guests from Iran, India and Pakistan to share out the spoils.

The biggest beneficiaries of the US5000 prize money in the Syria International Series were Iranian players, who took home the Men’s Singles and Doubles and the Ladies Doubles titles. India won the Ladies Singles while Pakistan, the Ladies Doubles.

The four-day tournament was well attended by players from some 13 countries, including Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordon, Nigeria, Egypt, Syria, Libya and Bahrain.

Iranian strength was obvious in the men’s singles when Kheradmandi Mohamadreza and Shahossein Ali faced each other in the final with the former prevailing 21-18, 21-14.  Earlier in the semi-finals, both of them had seen off the challenge from Indian youngsters.  Kheradmandi beat Jadhav Ankush 24-22, 21-18 in one half while Shahossein had little problem against the second Indian Castelino Rohan, winning in straights, 13 & 10.

Later the pair of Kheradmandi & Shahossein teamed up to win the Doubles title and Iran’s second gold medal in the series, beating Pakistan’s Attique Mohammed & Azam Rizwan in two narrow games, 21-19, 21-18.

Iran’s third success came in the Ladies Doubles through Amiripour Negin & Zamainian Sahar. They met the scratch pairing of Sabereh Kabiri of Iran and Hosny Hadia of Egypt and triumphed 21-16, 21-15.

The Ladies Singles Final was an all-Indian affair with the 5^th seeded Golhale Sayali coming out unscratched against her compatriot, the unseeded Sahasrabuddhe Sampada – the score 21-11, 21-17.

Pakistan’s lone success was achieved in the Mixed event where Attique Mohammed & Aisha Akram outlasted the scratch India-Syrian combination of Castelino Rohan & Kareem Hadil. It was a close match with the more experienced Pakistanis coming back from a game down to win 13-21, 21-18, 21-17.

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