Amelia, Soong Emerge India Open GP Gold Champions

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- National women's doubles, Amelia Alicia Anscelly and Soong Fie Cho stamped their mark when they clinched the crown of the India Open Grand Prix (GP) Gold Badminton Championship in Lucknow, India. In the final at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium Sunday, Amelia and Soong, the fourth seeds upset top seeds and compatriots, Vivian Hoo Kah Mun and Woon Khe Wei, 22-20 and 21-15 for the title. As champions, they bagged the top prize of US$9,480 (RM34,133) while Hoo and Woon won US$4,560 (RM 16,418) as runners-up, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website www.bwfbadminton.org announced Sunday. Amelia and Soong lost in the second round of the same tournament last year after conceding 19-21, 21-15 and 19-21 to India's pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa. The Badminton Association of Malaysia also sent participants in the men's and women's singles, men's doubles as well as mixed doubles but they were defeated along the way. -- BERNAMA