The Indian Badminton Association Kuwait (IBAK) successfully conducted the 3rd edition of Chairman’s Cup at its Salwa Gym (Saad Al Awzi School) on 22nd & 23rd Feb 2024. In a fitting finale to this year’s Chairman’s Cup 2024, the best team was left holding up the Winner’s trophy crushing five other competitive teams with players drawn from across different clubs in Kuwait. The final witnessed the prodigious talents across the badminton community in Kuwait with youngsters stealing a thunder over many accomplished and established seniors. Defending champions, “IBAK Torpedoes” who have made it the finals for three consecutive years ended up as the runners-up of this years edition. It was indeed a battle of nerves between both the teams where at the end Team ISA lofted the trophy with a 3-2 lead.

This tournament consisted of 6 teams -IBAK Torpedoes, IBAK Arrows, IBAK Chargers, Team 5.30, IBCK and ISA and was played in a round robin format. Each tie had 5 matches, 1 Professional Men’s Doubles, 1 Advanced Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, 1 Above 50 Men’s Doubles and a Mixed Doubles. 4 teams out of 6 teams advanced into the knockout stage.

During the final battle while IBAK Torpedoes took the lead by winning the Professional Men’s Doubles in a hard-fought nail-biting thriller over their spirited younger opponents. The most consistent pair of Team ISA’s advanced doubles ran in to stiff opposition from their lesser fancied opponents with the match going into 3 games and producing yet another nail biting thriller which kept the crowds enthralled throughout, thus levelling the scores to 1-1. The third match of the final tie, the Women’s Doubles was won by Team ISA. IBAK Torpedoes fought back to win the Above 50 Men’s doubles. Team ISA sealed victory by winning the decider match of the tie, the Mixed Doubles.

IBAK Arrows failing to the IBAK Torpedoes and Team 5.30 to Team ISA respectively in the Semi-Finals. IBAK Chairman’s Cup 2024 Teams standings - 1. Team ISA – Winner. 2. IBAK Torpedoes – 1st Runner Up. 3. Team 5.30 – Semi Finalist. 4. IBAK Arrows – Semi Finalist

The Chairman’s Cup 2024 prize distribution was done by Dr Manimara Chozhan – Chairman IBAK along with other IBAK committee members. Top 100 badminton players who practice across different clubs in Kuwait, participated in this tournament.

IBAK is committed to improve to badminton in Kuwait. As part of this efforts, IBAK will be concluding Master’s Cup 2024 on 11th and 12th April 2024. IBAK can be reached on www.ibakwt.org or [email protected]