Inter-state and National Badminton Championship from tomorrow in Goa

Panaji, Jan 18 (UNI) The SAG 63rd Inter-state, Inter-Zonal and 72nd Senior National Badminton Championship will get underway with qualifying rounds for open events from tomorrow to be played at renovated indoor stadium campal in Goa.

Speaking to the media, Goa Badminton Association (GBA) president and organsing Chairman Mr Richard Vaz said that a total of 177 entries have been confirmed so far for qualying rounds of open events which is 105 for Men singles, for ladies 15, men doubles 50 and ladies doubles 7. Out of which 24 players will qualify, eight each in men singles and doubles, two each in women singles and doubles and four in mixed doubles.

Mr Vaz said that the qualifying rounds will be held on Janaury 19 and 20. On January 21 and 22, eight teams from various states and which are the zonal winners will vie for Rahimtoola cup for men and Chadha Cup for Women. PSCB, BSNL, Assam, Maharastra, Air India, UP, Punjab and Karnataka for men while for Women PSCB, West Bengal, LIC,Kerala, Gujarat, Assam, Delhi, Railways will compete for Chadah cup and the senior event will be held from January 23 to 27.

Mr Vaz also announced the names of the ranking players for senior Nationals Goa, they are Men Singles: Anup Sridhar, P Kashyap, B Chetan Anand, Arvind Bhat, Anand Pawar, Ravinder Singh, J B S Vidhyadhar, Sachin Ratti, Utsav Mishra, Ajay Jayaram.

Men's Double: Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar, V Diju and Akshay Dewalkar, Jose George and Jseel Ismail, Jayan James and T Dinesh.

Women's Singles: Saina Nehwal, Trupti Murgunde, Aditi Mutatkar, Dhanya Nair, Aparna Balan, Gayatri Vartak, Sayali Gokhale, Jwala Gutta, Anita Ohlan and Shruti Kurien.

Women's double: Jwala Gutta and Shruti Kurien, Aparna Balan and P Jyotshna, Aswini Ponnappa and Nitya Sosale and Dhanya Nair and Anita Ohlan.

The International Refree Mr Muralidharan of Kerala will be the chief refree besides 12 other refrees of grade I&II will officiate the event, Mr Vaz added.

UNI SRN GR RAR AS1346