Awais retains title, lucky Mahoor gets women’s crown

KARACHI: Awais Zahid defended his men’s singles title while Mahoor Shehzad annexed her first women’s singles title when her rival Palwasha Bashir skipped the decider because of fever as the National Badminton Championship concluded here at the PSB Coaching Centre on Tuesday.

WAPDA emerged as the most impressive side, sweeping all the events of the competitions, which were held after eight years at the provincial metropolis.

In men’s singles final, Awais of WAPDA outgunned Pakistan’s impressive international player Hafiz Irfan Saeed of WAPDA 2-0 after an absorbing encounter. The score was 23-21 and 21-19.

“It was nice to defend my title,” the 26-year-old Awais told ‘The News’ after his fantastic performance in front of a packed gymnasium.

“Irfan also played well. It was a tough battle but I was confident that I would win it,” Awais said.

Both Awais and Irfan are Pakistan’s current players. Irfan was also part of Pakistan’s contingent in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

In women’s singles final, defending champion Palwasha Bashir of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) failed to appear because of typhoid which allowed young Mahoor of WAPDA to clinch her maiden crown.

“Palwsha had been suffering from typhoid, but she still played which complicated her disease,” an NBP team official told this correspondent.

Mahoor said that she was ready for Palwsha’s challenge. “I was confident I could beat Palwasha,” Karachi-based Mahoor told ‘The News’.

Mahoor was part of Pakistan’s side in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

In men’s doubles final which was also an all-WAPDA affair Hafiz Irfan Saeed and Azeem Sarwar overpowered Awais Zahid and Atique Chaudhry 2-1 with the set score of 15-21, 21-14 and 21-18.

In women’s doubles final, WAPDA’s Huma and Sahar Akram whacked Mahoor of WAPDA and Sara Mohmand of NBP 2-1 with the set score of 13-21, 21-14, 22-20.

In mixed doubles final, WAPDA’s Azeem Sarwar and Saba Rasheed overpowered Waqas Ahmed and Saima 2-0 with the set score of 21-15, 21-16.

More than 100 players from 16 units showed their worth in the event.

WAPDA had also won men’s and women’s events titles.

This was the first time in the history of the national event that an international referee — Ali Abdul Karim of Maldives — delivered his services.

Ali is an accredited referee of Badminton Asia. He came on the invitation of the Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF).