Fazza Para Badminton concludes with hosts richer by experience
13 May 2025 01:05
KUUMAR SHYAM (DUBAI)The sixth Fazza Para Badminton International in Dubai concluded with South Korea on top while the UAE squad finished with their best performance to date at the conclusion of the four-day event at the premises of the Shabab Al Ahli club.Jamal Al Bedwawi, who has become the main hope for the national team in just three years of playing para badminton, said: "There were many learnings to take – about technique, shuttle control and confidence. The feeling is very strong to go back to training and improve."Al Bedwawi, 26, went up to the quarter-final stage in the men's singles WH2 category where he lost to a 48-year-old seasoned rival and the much-higher ranked Jeong Jaie-gun from Gyeongju, South Korea.The Emirati showed the right spirit after the match when he said: "It was a good game; I gave my best. I want to have that kind of confidence like him (Jeong)". The trainee athlete from the People of Determination club, Dubai, trainee, also represents the UAE in wheelchair basketball.Hailing the host squad and the intensity shown by the competitors overall, Thani Juma Berregad, the chairman of the organising committee, said: "Our players' effort and training were evident in the matches. They have tried to match the level of the game of the Paralympic champions here. I'm very delighted to witness their development and performance like these have will boost their confidence. Definitely, the championship was a big learning experience for the team."The UAE coach Aditya Singh also appreciated the clear improvement for the local players. "Compared to the last Fazza Championships, all the players have made significant improvement in their overall game – technique, approach, confidence, and strokes. We have had a good few weeks of preparation ahead of the Championships and the results paid off well."Meanwhile, the medal tally was dominated by South Korea, who hauled in six gold medals, while Malaysia came bouncing hard on the final day for three gold medals which put them in the second spot on the leaderboard.Promising Korean shuttlers Sooyoung Yu and Gyeoul Jung claimed two gold medals each, adding the men's and women's Wheelchair (WH2) finals respectively. Their compatriot Shin Kyung Hwan reeled in the other two gold medals in the standing events. He won the men's singles Standing SL4 as well as the men's doubles SL3-SL4 event, pairing with Joo Dongjae for the latter.
Following the East Asian sides were Türkiye, India, England and Indonesia who grabbed a gold medal each.
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