KUWAIT CITY, Dec 13: The Scorpions won the KDD/Kuwait Badminton League 2017 Championship which was held at the IBAK Gym, Salwa. The Scorpions beat Team Challengers 3-0 in the finals. The tournament was organized by the Indian Badminton Association of Kuwait.Throughout the League, the Scorpions remained unbeaten. The other semifinalists were Rainbow Archers and Royal Phoenix.The league consisted of 6 teams and was played in a round robin/ knockout format. Each tie had 5 matches – singles, two open doubles, one advance doubles and a mixed doubles. Four teams out of six teams advanced into the knockout stage.In the round robin stage Scorpions beat Super Smashers (3-2), Rainbow Archers (3-2), The Challengers (3-2), Team Five Star (3-2) and Royal Phoenix (5-0).The Team Challengers reached the knockout stage by winning 4 of their 5 league matches. They beat Super Smashers, Royal Phoenix, Five Stars, and Rainbow Archers but lost to Team Scorpions.In the finals The Scorpions were in a blistering form. Sarvesh Rajkumar sailed past Aidan Anesh Mathew 21-11, 21-12, Yashin Bose and Sarin Joseph defeated Dr Manimara Chozhan and Murad Niyas 21-16, 21-9 and Satheesh Kumar and Abin C Mathew overcame Allen Jose and Lijo Thomas 21-12, 21-15. The doubles team of Dharshan and Chris and the Mixed Doubles team of Suresh Ramachandran and Deepa S kumar did not play and the tie was won 3-0The winning Team Scorpions comprised of Yashin Bose (Captain), Abin C Mathew, Deepa S Kumar, Suresh Ramachandran, Sarin Joseph, Aqis Effendi, Pradeepan, Dharshan Kumar, Chris Sijo, Satheesh Kumar, Sarvesh Rajkumar.Runners-up Team Challengers consisted of Aneef K Latheef (Captain), Jesley Alex, Dr. Manimara Chozhan, Usman Ahmed, Vikas Singh, Murad Niyas, Allen Jose, Aiden Mathew, Liju Thomas, Srinivas Sugandh, Edwin, Jose Mathew.The semifinalists – Royal Phoenix –Bader (Captain) Niyathi Pradeep, Bastian James Kanichay, Anto Joseph, Shamoon, Freddie Alexander, Manas Manoj, Sajeeve punnakkal, Erwin Mercardo, Basith Bader, Mazahar, Bayis Bader.Rainbow Archers – Dr Tamer Rafat (Captain), Mona Tamer, Sanil Paul, Jithin, Saji, Allen Anesh Mathew, Mohammad Elkhayat, Relin, Arun MC, Pushkarraj, Binu P.D.The Medals for the winners were given away by KBL core committee members Ajaykumar Vasudevan, Ramesh P, Bibin Madhavan, Ramesh Chandra, Prasad Thandassery, Siraj Mohammad and Chandrahas K. T.The cash prizes were distributed by V.V Subramanian, VP Business Integration KDD.The players who participated in the 2017 edition represent a wide variety of nationalities and practices daily in various clubs across Kuwait.The Corporate Sponsors of KBL and its teams are, Kuwait Badminton League 2017 title sponsor Kuwait Danish Diary (KDD). In line with its vision of ‘Wholesome Goodness’ KDD came forward to support IBAK for the third consecutive year.The Scorpions – Hydratight; Team Five Stars – Five Stars Company; Royal Phoenix -Stack group, Boltmaster Co, SheZone; Rainbow Archers – Himalaya Drug Company and Precon Construction Company; Team Challengers – Lulu Hyper Market, Lulu Exchange, Multitech General Trading & Construction Company, Alghanim Transportation Logistics & Solution; Team Super Smashers – Al Ameed Foodstuff Group, Triton MiddleEast, Al Mulla Group, Automative Division.The 2017 KDD KBL was inaugurated by V.V Subramanian, VP Business Integration KDD, in the presence of Dr Manimara Chozhan Chairman IBAK; Chandrahas K.T., General Secretary IBAK; Mohammad Dhasthi Ex Director Ministry of Education and Gangadhar Shirsath, Principal ICSK, Khaitan.KBL is the premier and only professional badminton league in Kuwait. Indian Badminton Association Kuwait (IBAK) in association with Kuwait Badminton federation (KBF) had conceived the idea of a league in 2015 and 2017 was the 3rd consecutive year in which the league is held. Kuwait Danish Dairy (KDD) was the title sponsor of Kuwait Badminton League for all these 3 years these years.