Debutants complete their unbeaten campaign with a 120-104 victory over Prassa Challengers in final
Panaji: Debutants Dempo Challengers capped a flawless campaign by clinching the Badminton Pro League (BPL) 2026 Edition 2.0 title with a commanding 120-104 victory over Prassa Challengers in the final at the Indoor Stadium, Campal.
Making their first appearance in Goa’s premier corporate badminton league, Dempo Challengers lived up to the billing throughout the tournament, remaining unbeaten from the league phase to the summit clash. They had earlier topped the standings with five wins from five outings, ahead of Prassa Challengers, while Salkar Smashers and Tax Gladiators rounded off the top four.
The high-octane final, played in the league’s signature relay format featuring seven men’s doubles ties and one mixed doubles contest, saw Prassa Challengers make the brighter start by taking the opening two rubbers. Dempo Challengers, however, responded emphatically as the combinations of Anirban Sen and Samir Sangodkar, Mukesh Gauns and Rushin Joshi, along with skipper Arjun Fallary and Soham Naik, turned the tide with a series of dominant displays.
Once they grabbed the momentum, Dempo Challengers never looked back, steadily stretching their advantage before sealing the contest at 120-104 to complete a dream debut season.
Earlier, Tax Gladiators secured third place after edging Salkar Smashers 120-117 in a thrilling playoff encounter. Kapil Kanji and Wilson D’Souza proved decisive for Tax Gladiators, producing a crucial 21-12 win in the seventh men’s doubles rubber to swing the momentum in their favour. Priority Titans and Synaptic Warriors were the other teams in contention during the league stage.
Rushin Joshi and Mukesh Gauns were named the Impact Pair of the Final, while Kapil Kanji and Wilson D’Souza earned the Impact Pair award in the third-place playoff. Soham Naik claimed the MVP Men honour, Malaika Lobo won MVP Women, and Sudhanva Udupa bagged the MVP Juniors award.
The champions walked away with a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, while runners-up Prassa Challengers received Rs 1.45 lakh and third-placed Tax Gladiators pocketed Rs 1.15 lakh, along with trophies. Individual MVPs were also presented Rs 2,000 and hampers.
The finals were graced by minister Rohan Khaunte, Shikha Pandey, GBA president Manoj Patil, Praveen Shenoy, Sanjay Bhobe, Navneet Nasnodkar, Upendra Raikar, Clint Fernandes, Tejwant Singh and other dignitaries.
