Half Hollow Hills East's Rajveer Gujral, Ward Melville's Zoe Xiao capture Suffolk individual badminton championships
Rajveer Gujral of Half Hollow Hills (left) and Zoe Xiao of Ward Melville during the Suffolk individual badminton championships on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
The drop shot landed. The match was over. And the Gujral family dynasty continued to rule.
Rajveer Gujral beat Smithtown East’s Ben Felber 21-12, 21-8 Wednesday in the boys singles final at the Suffolk boys and girls individual badminton championships at Half Hollow Hills East.
That gave the Hills East junior his second straight crown after he lost to his brother, Jaiveer, in the final as an eighth-grader and a freshman.
So make it four straight seasons with champions named Gujral.
“I’m just really happy, to be honest,” Rajveer said. “… My dad actually was a national player in India, so it means a lot for him to come to the United States and his sons win it for him.”
The new two-time champ gave thanks to his father, Bunty Gujral, and his brother for their encouragement beginning in eighth grade.
“I didn’t think I’d make the team,” Rajveer said. “But second in the county eighth and ninth grade. … They toughened me a lot. They helped me get to this level.”
Now he’s thinking about a three-peat.
“I’ve got to one-up my brother,” he said.
Ward Melville junior Zoe Xiao won, too.
Her teammate, senior Delaney Hart, was trying to repeat in girls singles. Xiao beat her 21-17 in the first set. But now Hart was one point from forcing a third set, going up 20-17.
So what was on Xiao’s mind?
“I really don’t want to play a third set,” she said.
Xiao took a 21-20 lead before winning 23-21, clinching the championship against the girl who ousted her in the 2023 semis.
“I’m glad I got another chance to play her in the championship,” Xiao said. “I pulled through.”
Whitman senior Dani Probst and junior teammate Sara Duffy pulled past Commack’s Tiffany Gracia Suarez and Eunice Jeon 21-18, 21-16 for the girls doubles crown.
“I think playing volleyball together — we also both play right next each other — helps,” Duffy said.
They’re also now champions who are related.
“It’s really good, especially because we’re first cousins,” Probst said.
The Half Hollow Hills duo of Niyanth Ponnusamy and Justin Roberts claimed the boys doubles title.
“It feels great,” Ponnusamy said. “It’s motivates me to work harder.”
Ponnusamy teamed with his fellow senior to beat Brentwood’s Adrian Pena and Tevin Zavala 14-21, 21-13, 21-15.
“It means a lot, but we’ve still got to win the team championships,” Roberts said. “This isn’t all.”
