India retain SAARC carrom title

India continued their stranglehold on the SAARC Carrom Championships by clinching the men's and women's team championships for the 13th year running at the MIG Club in Mumbai, on Saturday.

Indian men and women outclassed their corresponding rivals from Sri Lanka by identical 3-0 margin to win the top honours in the 13th edition of the tournament.

The fiercest fight in the battle for the top spot was between India's no. 3 Hidayat Ansari and his top-ranked Lankan rival Chamil Cooray that went in the host country's favour.

Ansari won 20-5, 7-25, 20-9 in a match that lasted two and a half hours.

 The other two men's clashes were totally one-sided.

World champion Yogesh Pardeshi whipped Lanka's Viraj Fernando 25-0, 25-8 and B Radhakrishnan got past Nishant Fernando 18-11, 17-16.

Indian women too retained their title in a convincing fashion.

World champion Rashmi Kumari defeated Yasika Rahubaddha 24-13, 25-0. India captain Ilavazaki brushed aside Rushita Joseph 25-0, 21-6 and Parimala Devi was also too good for her Lankan rival Nayana Wickramasinghe, winning their tie 25-12, 15-10.