Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh Int'l Series: Riyadul-Tanoy reach last 16 in men’s doubles
Sports Reporter :
Bangladesh found a welcome breakthrough at the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Series as the men’s doubles pair of Riyadul Islam and Tanoy Saha advanced to the last 16 with a commanding performance on Tuesday at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium, Dhaka.
The Bangladeshi duo swept aside India’s Venkat Sani Naga and Sai Prudhvi Saranam in the round of 32, sealing a straight-games victory by 21-8, 21-13. From the first serve to the final smash, Riyadul and Tanoy were firmly in the driving seat, leaving their opponents with little room to manoeuvre.
The win marks the best international result so far for the Khulna-based pair, who are featuring in only their third international tournament.
It also carried an air of sweet revenge, as the same Indian pair had knocked them out in the opening round of the recent Bangladesh International Challenge. Speaking after the match, Tanoy Saha highlighted the value of their long partnership.
He said, “We have been playing together for five years and understand each other very well. We are improving gradually, and our coach Raju Sir has played a major role in our progress.”
He also praised the support of Ilora Shuttler Academy in Dinajpur. He said, “This is our first win in the Series, but we want to go much further.”
Riyadul Islam added, “We could not do well in our previous two international outings. Reaching the last 16 here makes us very happy. Our only target now is to become champions, and we will give our best.”
Bangladesh also enjoyed success in men’s singles, with national champion Khandakar Abdus Sowad advancing after a tense three-game battle against Iran’s Seyed Armin Zaki, winning 21-17, 17-21, 22-20. Ching Mong Marma also progressed, defeating Thailand’s Pannachi Bommak 21-15, 11-21, 22-20.
However, it was largely a tough day for the hosts elsewhere. Prominent names including Al-Amin Jumar, Aiman Ibne Jaman and Gaurab Singh exited in the opening round of men’s singles, while Sifat Ullah Galib, Sibgat Ullah, and several others also bowed out. In women’s singles, star shuttler Urmi Akter suffered a straight-games defeat to Malaysia’s Lim Zhi Shin.
As the Series gathers pace, hopes now rest squarely on Riyadul Islam and Tanoy Saha to keep Bangladesh’s doubles challenge alive.