BADdiction: Forever After

“In terms of playing ability there is nothing to choose between number one and 100. Instead, it’s a question of who believes and who wants it more? Which player is mentally stronger? Which player is going to fight the hardest in the big points? These are the things that determine who is the champion.”

-Novak Djokovic

The Judgment Day was here. The legions were ready with the armor on their bodies and determination in their hearts. The colosseum (aka baddy court) was filled to its capacity, dripping with enthusiasm and anticipation. Every single soul wanted to be a part of this final day of the sporting spectacle called BADdiction. All that can be said was – “May the odds be ever in your favour.”

Semi Final 1

The contest on the cards was between DCP-B and WTF (Sr.F). Saksham of DCP-B handed his team an early win and Zareena followed it up with another hard fought victory. Next came the Men’s Doubles and DCP-B prevailed again. Vidit and Saksham played superbly to book a birth in the Grand Finale. WTF (Sr. F) put up a good challenge but somehow it was not enough to prevent Arab Armada from marching on.

Semi Final 2

This was a game between the two heavy weights – the Dabanggs (Sr. D) vs. the GameChangers (Sr.G). The match was expected to be a high octane contest but the Dabanggs had other plans. They maintained their “dabanggai” throughout the match and Shubham, Vidisha & Prateek were the usual culprits. The match ranked modest on the adrenaline scale but no one knew that this was “the lull before the storm.”

Crowd looks on during the finals

A doubles game during the Semi Finals

The Grand Finale

When I mentioned “Grand” in the above heading, I meant – it was AS GRAND AS IT GETS!!! If someone thinks that I am exaggerating then believe me, this is the humblest way I can put it. All those who were there are still in the awe of that match. 30% hair loss and 100 % nail loss were diagnosed to be the common symptoms among the spectators.

Shubham Samdani of the Dabanggs (Sr. D) and Vivek of DCP-B took the centre stage for the Men’s Singles and what transpired next is history. Shubham took the first set, Vivek won the next two and then Shubham clinched the fourth one to put terms on level pegging. It was Troy happening all over again. Hector vs. Achilles was going on right in front of our eyes. In the end, Vivek emerged as Achilles as he bagged the game 3-2. But the battle of Troy was far from over.

Ritu made it 2-0 for DCP-B when she defeated Vidisha of the Dabanggs. It was imperative that the Dabanggs made up a comeback and the duo of Shubham and Prateek did not disappoint. They gave a top drawer performance to win the Men’s Doubles game. The Dabanggs now understood the writing on the wall and mixed doubles pair of Prateek and Vidisha did exactly what the doctor ordered. They came out trumps in the contest to take the match to the decider. Yes… Hector’s Army had made a comeback and a beautiful one at that.

The showdown between Easwar (Dabanggs) and Saksham (DCP-B) was to decide the winner of this epic finale. The atmosphere was congenial to become a hero (or in other case a villain). Both played like there was no tomorrow. I think when the final game of a final match goes to the final set and gets tied at the final point; you can call it “close”. The deuce was broken and it was Easwar who emerged as the winner after putting up a divine performance. Saksham deserved no less accolades and earned the right to walk with his head held high.

Dabanggs – The Champions

DCP-B – The Super Runner-ups

The epic finale lasted for over four hours. From ruthless smashes to delicate drops, from sledging the opponent to applauding him – this match had everything. It did set some standards as far as sportsmanship is considered. The scenes of both teams cheering and hugging each other made the beautiful sport of badminton a true winner. This finale will be remembered at IMT for a long time to come.

The crowds were the driving force behind their teams throughout the tournament. They came at the dusk and stayed right till the dawn. Even the wicked mosquitoes could not deter them. Be it Nitin Chugh whose cheeky remarks demolished the concentration of many a competitor or be it Karan Mehrotra whose passionate support acted as a catalyst for his team; they created a high voltage environment which inspired the players to raise the bar.

Overall, BADdiction was something which left everyone wanting more. But then that’s what addictions do. And for those who are wondering, “What next?” – Be prepared, WINTER IS COMING!