Badminton: Ashmita Chaliha, Ravi lift titles at Maldives International Challenge

Mumbai: Indian shuttlers Ashmita Chaliha and Ravi won the women's and men's singles titles respectively in the Maldives International Challenge 2023, registering contrasting wins in the finals played in Male, Maldives.

The Indian women's singles star Ashmita, currently ranked 46 in the world defeated compatriot Tasnim Mir 19-21, 21-17, 21-11 in an all-Indian final played at the Indoor Hall of the Male Sports Complex here on Saturday.

This is Ashmita's third BWF International Challenge title so far this season, having previously won the titles at Tata Open India International and Dubai International.

The title spree continued with Ravi clinching the men's singles title with a straight games win over Malaysia's Soong Joo Ven, 21-19, 21-18, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) informed in a release on Sunday.

The women's doubles pair of Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam finished runner's up after going down 22-24,15-21 in the final.

Thailand's second seeds Pharanyu Kaosamaang and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga defeated Malaysia's Yee Hang Lee and Cheong Eng Ng 21-19, 21-16 in the final.

The singles and doubles winners pocketed a cheque of US$ 1200 each while the runners-up received $720 each in the seventh edition of this BWF International Challenge-level event which had a total prize money of US$ 15,000.