Date:15/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/15/stories/2008081552302100.htm

Sport - Badminton

Double for Ernakulam

KOCHI: Ernakulam boys and girls celebrated a double in the State sub-junior inter-district championship here on Thursday.

Despite having the top four seeds in its ranks, host Ernakulam used its third option, Sharon Raphael, in the opening singles of the boys team final against Kannur and still came out a comfortable winner, winning 2-0.

With Daya Elsa Jacob leading the charge, Ernakulam beat defending champion Thiruvananthapuram by a similar margin in the girls’ final.

“The badminton facilities are fantastic at the Kochi’s Regional Sports Centre and the timings are very flexible too, that’s the reason for Ernakulam’s success,” said coach M.L. Narendran. “We have time restrictions at the Jimmy George Stadium where our players play,” he added.

The results: Inter-district team championship: Sub-junior boys final: Ernakulam bt Kannur 2-0 (Sharon Raphael bt Aditya Prakash 21-13, 21-15; Arun George & S. Pranav bt Aditya Prakash & Shyam Prasad 21-9, 21-14).

Sub-junior girls final: Ernakulam bt Thiruvananthapuram 2-0 (Daya Elsa Jacob bt Neha Narendran 21-9, 21-11; Daya & Anjali Maria Sunil bt Soumya B. Ashok & R. Divya 21-8, 21-11). — Principal Correspondent