Nagpur's Ritika Thaker and Simran Singhi Clinch Victory at Lagos International Classic Tournament

In a remarkable victory for Indian badminton, Ritika Thaker and Simran Singhi from Nagpur emerged as champions at the Lagos International Classic tournament held in Lagos, Nigeria.

The duo was set to face the top-seeded American pair of Paula Lynn Cao Hok and Lauren Lam in the final. However, an unexpected turn of events led to the US team not showing up on time for the match, resulting in the Indian pair being declared the winners by the chair umpire.

In the semifinals, Ritika and Simran had already demonstrated their prowess by defeating the second-seeded South African pair of Amy Ackerman and Deidre Laurens in straight games with a score of 21-12, 22-20 at Court 2 of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.

Speaking from Lagos, Ritika and Simran expressed their desire to have played and won the final match for a more satisfying victory. Nevertheless, they recognized the significance of securing the gold medal and extended their heartfelt thanks to MBA, Arun Lakhani, NDBA, Mangesh Kashikar, and other supporters. They also gave special recognition to Suchitra Academy, Pradeep Raju, their coaches, the physiotherapist, and Viren Thakkar for their invaluable support.

Looking ahead, Ritika and Simran are gearing up for the Vietnam Open and are determined to maintain their excellent form following their recent bronze medal win at the Maldives International tournament.