Rajasthan Players Make Strong Progress at National Sub-Junior Badminton Championship
The Yonex-Sunrise All India Sub-Junior (U-15 & U-17) Ranking Badminton tournament, currently underway at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium in Jaipur, witnessed impressive performances from local talent on Thursday. Rajasthan's athletes showcased their skills across various categories, securing multiple victories and advancing to the next rounds.
Thrilling Matches in Boys Singles Categories
In the U-15 boys singles, Utkarsh Singh Rathod of Rajasthan demonstrated remarkable resilience in a closely contested match against Sudeep Kumar of Jharkhand. After a grueling 40-minute battle, Utkarsh emerged victorious with scores of 15-7, 11-15, 15-11, securing his place in the third round of the tournament.
The U-17 boys category also saw intense competition. Devashish Prajapat edged out Lakshya Chaudhary of Delhi in a three-game encounter, winning 15-10, 10-15, 15-9. Meanwhile, Harshvardhan of Rajasthan dominated his match against Bharat Krishna of Haryana, posting a convincing 15-5, 15-7 victory. Nishit Agarwal received a walkover from Furhan Sayyed of Karnataka, advancing without a match.
Notable Performances Across the Board
Several other players from Rajasthan and beyond delivered standout performances:
- Kandarp Sharma outclassed Arif Mohammad of Kerala with scores of 15-10, 15-9.
- Jatin rallied to defeat Telangana's Nikhil Verma 10-15, 15-5, 15-12 in a comeback victory.
- Rudra Devanda secured a hard-fought win over Abhyansh Jain of Madhya Pradesh 15-5, 17-15.
- Manas Gehlot triumphed over Vihaan Pratham of Telangana 10-15, 17-15, 15-13 in a nail-biting match.
- Garvit Barwar dominated Vihaan Reddy of Telangana with a decisive 15-3, 15-5 win.
- Divyansh Tomar overcame Aryan of Haryana 10-15, 15-11, 15-11 in another three-game thriller.
- Mayank Swami defeated Sakad Dubey of Madhya Pradesh 15-11, 15-12.
- Bhavya Bansal rallied to beat Moksh Bhatia of Haryana 16-18, 15-5, 15-12 after dropping the first game.
- Madhav Sharma cruised past Himanshu of Haryana 15-7, 15-1.
- Akshat Shekhawat defeated Kshitij Kushwaha of Uttarakhand 15-6, 15-7.
- Manvendra Choudhary advanced by defeating K. Selvanathan of Tamil Nadu.
Exciting Action in Mixed Doubles
The mixed doubles categories added to the day's excitement. In the Under-17 mixed doubles, the Rajasthan pair of Garvit Barwar and Deshna Jain delivered a commanding performance, defeating Kartik and Sushma from Andhra Pradesh 15-2, 15-8.
The Under-15 mixed doubles saw multiple Rajasthan pairs triumph:
- Shreyansh Choudhary and Padmaja Singh defeated Viraj Singh and Kanishka Singh from Haryana 15-5, 15-6.
- Lokesh Gurjar and Miraya Fageria overcame Prithvi Janwad and Dhani from Maharashtra 15-7, 15-13.
- Y Shekhawat and K Sharma edged out Sushagar and Arnavi Pathak from Uttar Pradesh 16-14, 15-9.
Tournament Scale and Schedule
According to Manoj Dasot, vice president of the Rajasthan Badminton Association, the tournament is set to feature an extensive schedule with approximately 450 matches. The action continues on Friday, with matches scheduled to commence at 9 am at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium in Jaipur.
The Yonex-Sunrise All India Sub-Junior Ranking Badminton tournament serves as a crucial platform for young athletes to showcase their talent and gain valuable competitive experience. With players from across the country participating, the event highlights the growing depth of badminton talent in India at the sub-junior level.
