Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 11:

Nepal ended up with a silver and three bronze medals at the Nepal Asia Satellite Badminton Championship 2005, organised by Nepal Badminton Association under the sponsorship of Samsung. Sumina Shrestha and Puja Shrestha lost to Sri Lankan duo of Renu Chandrika De Silva and Thilini Jayasinghe 6-15, 15-13, 6-15 in the final of the women’s doubles, in the only final appearance of the home team. Crown Prince Paras, who is also the patron of National Sports Council, gave away prizes to the winners. Sumina, who lost in women’s singles semi-final; men’s doubles shuttlers Pashupati Paneru and Pankaj Chand, who advanced to the semi-finals; and the mixed doubles pair of Indra Mehata and Puja Shrestha, who made it to the last four won a bronze medal each.

In women’s doubles final, Sumina and Puja showed their fighting spirit against the Sri Lankan pair, but their efforts were not enough to give the only gold medal for Nepal. Other home shutters failed to advance to the finals. In men’s singles final, Pakistan’s Ahsan Qamar came from behind to beat Sri Lankan Thushara Ediresinghe 1-15, 15-11, 15-0. Ediresinghe injured his foot in the second set and could match the Pakistani opponent and virtually surrendered the gold medal. In all-Sri Lankan women’s singles, Renu Chandrika De Silva defeated Thilini Jayasinghe 11-5, 11-9. In men’s doubles final, Pakistani pair of Waqas Ahmod and Tahir Ishaq

routed Sri Lankan duo of Duminda Jayakody and injured Thushara Ediresinghe 15-6, 15-1. In another all-Sri Lankan final, Ediresinghe teamed up with Renu C De Silva to beat Duminda Jayakody and Thilini Jayasinghe 15-13, 15-4 and won the mixed doubles gold medal.