Defeats 14-times U.S. champion R. Saravanan Babu in the final

Forty-three-year-old R.D. Dinesh Babu could not have presented a better gift to his ageing mother, Bharani, than the U.S. Open Grand Slam Carrom Championship trophy.

Dinesh, who won the 2016 edition held in the U.S., was not in the best frame of mind as his mother has been unwell.

But the Hyderabadi gave his best. He said his first phone call on winning the U.S. Open title to his mother was like an energy booster. And, understandably, her joy knew no bounds!

He defeated 14-times U.S. champion R. Saravanan Babu (25-10, 25-10) in the final.

“After the disappointment of losing in the semifinal from a winning position against Radhakrishnan in last year’s edition, I am glad I could pull it off this time around,” says Dinesh in a chat with The Hindu on his return.

“It was not easy to win the final as the opponent had the support of the local crowd and it was like India playing in Sharjah. I had to stay calm and focussed to get the better of him. He played much better than what the scoreline suggests,” says Dinesh.

“I never give up. Self-discipline and self-belief coupled with hard work are my strong points,” says the senior accountant in AG’s Office.

“And I owe a lot to my coach Madanraj sir and to all the fellow players and other officials,” he adds.

Dinesh, who lost to the then world champion Yogesh Pardesi in the 2008 Senior Nationals, is now offered to play in the North American Premier League that features six or eight teams with one foreign player permitted to play for them.

World championship
“My ultimate goal is to win the world championship next year. I know it will not be easy, but I will put in efforts needed to realise this goal,” signs off Dinesh, who dedicates this win to his family.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – November 10th, 2018