Bhandari wins singles trophy

Pokhara, September 16

Kamal Bahadur Adhikari defended the above-35 singles title of the NIC Asia Bank Nepal ITF Senior Circuit-I Tennis Championship here today.

The Nepal No 1 player in the age category Bhandari defeated India’s Kamlesh Shukla 6-4, 6-2 in the final match played at the Pokhara Stadium courts. Manoj Shumsher Rana won the above-55 singles event with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Pradeep Gupta of India.

Indian players dominated other events of the championship. Chandra Bhushan won the above-45 singles title with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 victory over fellow India player Bal Kishan Bhatiya.

In the above-35 doubles section, Arun Agrawal and Dilip Mahanti defeated Avinash Kuwar and Kamlesh Shukla 6-3, 6-2, while Agrawal teamed up with Bal Krishna Bhati won the above-45 section title after the duo of Chandra Bhushan and Hitendra Panwar retired while trailing 6-1, 1-1.

The winners of the tournament earned 40 ITF points, while the runners-up received 20 and the semi-finalists got 10. The quarter-finalists got five points. The Circuit-II tournament of the championship is beginning from Monday at the Pokhara Stadium.