Gurleen Singh and Aahana Punjabi Triumph in Open Women's Doubles at Grand Prix Mumbai

Champions of the Grand Prix Mumbai

On July 23, Gurleen Singh and Aahana Punjabi secured the Open Women's Doubles championship at the Grand Prix Mumbai, held at The Ballard Pier. The pair remained undefeated throughout the tournament, concluding their impressive run with an 11-8 victory against Priyanka Mehta and Urvi Abhyankar in the final match. Their effective net play and excellent teamwork proved crucial in the tense final moments of a closely fought contest.

Gurleen and Aahana set the tone early in the tournament, starting with an 11-6 win over the same opponents they would later face in the final. They followed this up with a commanding 11-3 victory against Aakanksha Rawat and Rakshu Kartikeya Panchal. In contrast, Priyanka and Urvi rebounded from their earlier defeat in the group stage, achieving an impressive 11-0 win over Aakanksha and Rakshu to secure their place in the final, but they were unable to replicate that performance against the champions.

This victory adds to the impressive achievements showcased during the Mumbai leg of the Grand Prix series. The event featured eight divisions across Open and 19+ Advanced categories for both men and women, encompassing singles and doubles formats. Each division was conducted in a round-robin style during the pool phase, leading into knockout rounds.

The Grand Prix is part of a PWR 700-sanctioned series that will span 13 cities, offering a total prize pool of up to Rs 50 lakh along with valuable ranking points. In addition to the singles events, which contribute to the IPBL's Road to IPBL pathway, the tournament provided a competitive platform for doubles and Advanced-tier players, complete with pool stages, knockout rounds, and ranking points available at each venue.