Before they parted ways in 2006, Akshay Dewalkar and Jishnu Sanyal managed what no Indian pair had achieved in the country’s badminton history.
Joining hands after a two-year break, shuttlers Akshay Dewalkar and Jishnu Sanyal win their first international title
MUMBAI: Before they parted ways in 2006, Akshay Dewalkar and Jishnu Sanyal managed what no Indian pair had achieved in the country’s badminton history. The two-time junior national doubles’ champions had qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2005 World Junior Championships in Korea. Had it not been for Jishnu’s decision to pursue a singles’ career, the pair would have stuck on and things could have been very different.
The good news is that Akshay and Jishnu decided to reunite in August earlier this year to get their doubles career back on track. And they bagged their first international title in the Bahrain International Challenger Badminton Championships that concluded on Friday.
The Indians defeated top seeded Iranian pair of Shahhussain Ali and Khramandi Mohhamad Reza 16-21 21-14 21-10 in the final of the $60,000 tournament to gain crucial points in the world ranking system. “Looking at the draws I expected them to win. I knew they could win if they played their shots,” said coach Shrikanth Vad. Akshay and Jishnu are currently in Italy to participate in a rankings meet.
While a victory in a level two tournament might not mean a great deal for the pair, it is a boost to their confidence, Vad said. “It is a great stepping stone, considering that this is only their second international tournament,” he added.
According to Vad, who has been watching the players closely for the past decade, the duo complement each other’s techniques.
“Akshay is a very good hitter and can control the back court. Jishnu is a great manipulator from the nets and creates good openings for Akshay,” he said.
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