Manipal: BAI president says next edition of IBL will be bigger and better

Manipal, Dec 15 2013:

“The second edition of Indian badminton League will be bigger and better,” assured Badminton Association of India President, Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta while addressing the participants of the South Zone Inter-University Badminton Tournament at the inaugural ceremony here at the Marena indoor sports complex on Sunday. “The League will have eight teams and more prize money. It will only improve with every passing year,” he said. 

“We are the pioneers in conducting such a league in world badminton. China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Denmark are among the best in the world but none of them have any such league. Therefore the entire world was appreciative of the League. It has benefited players even at the junior levels,” he said.  “We are also trying to bring in a team from Dubai to play matches here and our team will make a return visit on an annual basis”.

He said that India was making steady progress in world badminton. “Our boys and girls can beat some of the best players in the world. With the academies in the country doing well, he hope that soon we would be at par with the top nations. He mentioned of the academies doing good job in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknowetc and said the BAI was working to create a Rajiv Gandhi academy in Manipur. 

He lauded Manipal University for hosting inter-university tournaments, tennis, cricket and now badminton and said that the university had all the facility to host international tournaments. The BAI president said,“We will consider a major tournament for the university”.

Pro Chancellor of Manipal University Dr HS Ballal in his welcome speech spoke about the tournament and how the University encouraged sports along with academics. He said the University would conduct an inter-university tournament every year. Vice Chancellor, Dr K. Ramnarayan and University Sports Council Secretary, Dr Vinod Nayak also spoke on the occasion. Chancellor, Dr Ramdas Pai, Registrar Dr G.K. Prabhu, General Secretary Badminton Association of India, Dr Vijai Sinha and Proprietor Ujwal Developers Udupi, Mr Purshottam Shetty and Mr J.C. Chandra Chief Manager SBI were also present.

UPDATE:

Mahatma Gandhi and Jain varsities set up title clash once again

Manipal, December 18: Holders Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam and runners-up Jain University Bangalore set up a title clash once again in the South Zone Inter-University Badminton Tournament at Marena, the indoor sports complex of Manipal University here on Wednesday. Both teams came through their quarter-finals and semi-finals with comfortable victories.

In the semi-final, Mahatma Gandhi Beat University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 2-0 with Arathi Sara Sunil  making short work of Aswathy P. 21-8, 21-9 in the first singles and then teaming up with Agnaanto to beat Malavika Mathew and NeethuNinan 21-6 and 21-12 for a 2-0 victory. For Jain University, Jacqueline Rose Kunnath was the main player. She won her singles with a comfortably beatingGokhula Lakshmi of Anna University at 21-8 and 21-13 and paired with Poorvisha S. Ram to clinch the doubles with a 21-12, 21-17 win over Gokhula and Ramya.

In the men’squarter-finals, holders Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin will take on Mahatama Gandhi University, Kottayam while Andhra University plays Bangalore University, Bangalore. The runners-up last year Osmania University, Hyderabad and the other semi-finalists, JNTU Hyderabad and Kakatiya University, Kakinada have moved into the newly formed Central Zone.

CUST, Cochin who began their campaign from the quarter-finals had a tough match against Bharathiar Coimbatore. They won 3-1. Hosts Manipal University, Manipal and Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri failed to make further progress losing to Andhra University and Bangalore University respectively at 0-3. Mahatma Gandhi, Kottayam got the better of University of Kerala Thirvananthapuram 3-0.

Results

Men:

Bharathiar University, Coimbatore beat Anna University 3-1.

Quarter-finals:

Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam beat Manipal University 3-0, Bangalore University, Bangalore beat Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri 3-0, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam beat University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 3-0.

Women:

Quarter-finals:

Jain University, Bangalore beat University of Calicut Kerala 2-0, Anna University, Chennai beat Visveshvaraya Technological University, Belgaum 2-0, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram beat Bangalore University 2-1, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam beat Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada 2-0.

Semi-finals:

MG University Kottayam beat University of Kerala 2-0:

Arathi Sara Sunil beat Ashwathy P. 21-8, 21-9. Arathi and Agnaanto beat Malavika Mathew and NeethuNinan 21-6, 21-12.

Jain University Bangalore beat Anna University, Chennai 2-0:

Jacqueline Rose Kunnath beat Gokhula Lakshmi 21-8, 21-13. Jacqueline and Poorvisha Beat Gokhula and Ramya 21-12 and 21-17.