In a stunning display of grit and skill, young shuttler Varsha Singh delivered the biggest upset of the day at the O N Dixit Memorial District Badminton tournament. Playing at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday, Singh knocked out the top-seeded Aaradhya Dhingra in the Under-17 girls singles category.
A Thrilling Three-Game Battle
The highly anticipated second-round clash lived up to its billing, going the full distance. Varsha Singh showcased remarkable composure to overcome the favourite in a closely fought three-game encounter, ultimately storming into the quarter-finals of the prestigious district-level event. This victory marks a significant milestone in the young athlete's budding career.
Quarter-Finalists Emerge Across Age Groups
While the U-17 girls match provided the headline drama, action continued across various junior categories. In the U-11 girls singles quarter-finals, top seed Rashi Singhal secured her spot by defeating Hanika. She was joined by Nitisha Goud, who beat Malvika, and Geetashree Tak, who prevailed over Deepawali. Second seed Ruhani Yadav also advanced to the semi-finals after downing Nishika Nag.
The boys' events saw a host of young talents progress. In the U-11 boys singles, the quarter-final line-up was finalized with Naitik Bansal, Aryan Agarwal, Akshit, Himaksh, Shiv Chauhan, Aditya Vats, Mehul Sharma, and Lakshit Rewar all booking their places.
The U-13 boys singles category will see a competitive last-eight stage featuring Anish Chahar, Mudit Pandey, Pranav Mulchandani, Punya Miglani, Borruddin Hasan, Naitik Bansal, Vaideh Jain, and Manvendra.
In the corresponding girls' category, the quarter-finalists are set. Padmaja Singh, Gaurika Goyal, Mohika Kaushal, Mahi Saini, Nitisha Goud, Aaradhya Bishnoi, Kairo Arya, and Hanika all sailed through to the last-eight stage.
Tournament Schedule and Dignitaries
According to tournament secretary Atul Gupta, the action will intensify on Thursday. All singles matches for boys and girls in the U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17, and U-19 categories are scheduled to be played. Furthermore, the men's category matches will also commence from Thursday evening, broadening the competition's scope.
The event was graced by several special guests, including Lalit Bhardwaj, Rohit Ajmera, and Vivek Sharma, who were welcomed by Atul Gupta. Jaipur District Badminton Association secretary Manoj Dasot extended a welcome to the chief guest, Yash Samiti president Ashish Saraf, and social worker Parag Lashkari, highlighting the community support for the sport.
The O N Dixit Memorial tournament continues to be a vital platform for identifying and nurturing badminton talent in the Jaipur district, with young athletes like Varsha Singh seizing their moment to shine.
