Sports Reporter :
The Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge entered its third day on Thursday (18 December), and after disappointment in the singles events, Bangladesh’s shuttlers finally found something to smile about in the doubles and mixed doubles competitions.
The international tournament is being held at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Paltan, Dhaka.
While the men’s and women’s singles continued to tell a tale of early exits for the hosts, it was the men’s doubles players who restored pride on home soil. In particular, the pairs of Al-Amin Jumar and Moajzzem Hossain Ohidul, and Masud Ahmed and Sadakat Robin, produced inspired performances in the pre-quarter-finals to book their places in the quarter-finals.
Jumar and Ohidul came through a gripping three-game contest against India’s Devart Mann and Saurabh Nain, winning 21-19, 17-21, 21-14. The match swung like a pendulum, with Bangladesh edging a tight first game before conceding the second. In the decider, they looked set for a comfortable win, only for Ohidul to suffer an injury mid-game. For a moment, it appeared the setback might derail the hosts, but Ohidul battled on despite limping, and the pair held their nerve to close out the match and spark celebrations in the stands.
The Masud-Robin duo also showed great character. After losing the opening game 21-14 to Malaysia’s Lew Wen Ji and Jia Li Tan, they staged an impressive comeback, lifting their tempo and turning the match on its head to win the next two games 21-14 and 21-17.
Their fighting spirit ensured a deserved place in Friday’s quarter-finals scheduled for Friday, 19 December.
Jumar and Ohidul, who recently returned from an international tournament in Canada with a bronze medal, have been playing together for over a year and appear to be growing in confidence with every outing. Speaking after the match, they said they were delighted to reach the quarter-finals and were eager to go even further.
The duo said, “We missed out on gold in Canada. At home, we want to aim for gold.”
Masud and Robin, who hail from the Dinajpur Alora Shuttler Academy, were equally upbeat. They said, “We are very happy with this win. Just like today, we will step onto the court in the quarter-finals aiming to win.”
Elsewhere, results did not go Bangladesh’s way.
Mostafizur Rahman Lipton and Rafiul Raid were beaten 21-17, 21-17 by Vietnam’s Bui Danh and Nguyen Duc in men’s doubles. Rahatun Naim and Mizanur Rahman fought hard but lost 26-24, 15-21, 21-17 to India’s Swastik Matharasan and Gokul.
In the women’s doubles, Bangladesh’s Dalia and Mathina went down 21-11, 21-13 to Great Britain’s Cho Wai Lam and Thalia Lyn Sear, while Reshma and Brishti lost a three-game battle 21-19, 17-21, 21-14 against India’s Nancy and Sunain Malik.
In mixed doubles, Sifat Ullah and Brishti Khatun were beaten 21-13, 23-21, 21-17 by India’s Michael and Farja Nazrin.
As the tournament moves into the quarter-final stage, attention will now centre on Jumar-Ohidul and Masud-Robin, who carry Bangladesh’s hopes of a deep run in this international event.
