Salama Al Khateri in action during the 3rd Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Dubai Para Badminton Championship 2021.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Emirati player Salama Al Khateri might have lost her opening match at the 3rd Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Dubai Para Badminton Championship 2021 but she left the court at Shabab Al Ahli Club with head held high.

Khateri, the 20-year-old who trains at Dubai Club for People of Determination, lost to the Netherlands’ Sophie Van Den Broek 21-9, 21-6 in the women’s singles SL4 first round match.

“I lost but I am happy to compete after so long. This was a great learning experience. I want to improve my game now and win medals for UAE,” said Khateri who is studying Chemistry at Durham University in the UK.

“I will train hard to be better,” she added.

For Sophie, an 18-year-old from Amsterdam, this was her first international match and she was delighted to have won it. “I felt excited and nervous at the same time. But it was a great experience.”

Like Salama, her team-mate Humaid Fawzi Al Senaani also wants to improve his game.

“This was a good learning experience. I will work hard to have a good result in future tournaments especially at the Bahrain 2021 Asian Youth Para Games 2021.”

“I will aim for a medal at Bahrain 2021,” said the 17-year-old Senaani, who lost his Group B men’s singles SL4 opening match against Nils Boening.

Meanwhile, India’s promising SU5 player Palak Kohli said she felt confident in her first international match played after a long time.

“It was a great start for me. My priority is women’s doubles and women’s singles,” said the 17-year-old Kohli, who admitted to “already having an eye on the podium.”

“We have worked very hard in the last few months despite the Pandemic and now it’s the payback time.”

Kohli defeated compatriot Vaishali Nilesh Patel 21-2, 21-6 in her women’s singles SU5 Group C opening match.

Later she combined with Pramod Bhagat to win their SL3-SU5 Group C opening game.

Elsewhere, top players who usually are making headlines - Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila, India’s Manasi Joshi and Parul Parmar among others - all won their opening round matches.

As many as 127 players from 29 countries including hosts UAE are participating in the championship, which has several leading players including world and Asian Para Games champions.