SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 17: The veteran men’s and women’s badminton players from Jharkhand have left for Goa to participate in the 47th Yonex Indian National Masters’ Badminton Championship. The tournament serves as a crucial platform for senior badminton players across India.
According to Jharkhand Badminton Association (JBA) Secretary K. Prabhakar Rao, players were selected for different age-group events based on their performance in a selection trial held in Hazaribag.
Rao, who is also the Joint Secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), stated that the Indian team for the World Senior Badminton Championship in Thailand will be chosen based on performances in this Goa tournament.
Selection Process and Tournament Schedule
The selection trials were conducted under the supervision of State Referee Association Convener Avinash Tiwari and national panel umpires. Tiwari informed that the matches for the 35+ to 50+ age categories are scheduled from March 16 to 19, while events for the 55+ to 75+ categories will take place from March 20 to 23.
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Dhanbad Players Withdraw in Protest
Despite being selected, Dhanbad players Sanjay Sharma (60+ category) and Ravi Sharma (45+ category) have refused to represent Jharkhand, citing biased decisions in the selection process.
Sanjay Sharma, who won a bronze medal in the 2023 All India Civil Services Badminton Championship in Gujarat, lost the 60+ final after the match referee called a service fault against him. Alleging unfair judgment, he and Ravi Sharma have opted out of the state team in protest.
List of Selected Players from Jharkhand
35+ Category:
- Singles: Mukesh Kumar, Purushottam Barak (Men), Aprajeeta, Sarla Murmu (Women)
- Doubles: Jitendra Kachhap – Mukesh Kumar (Men), Aruna – Shalini Sharma (Women)
- Mixed Doubles: Sanju Kumar – Sarala Murmu, Saurabh Suman – Uma Rani Palit
40+ Category:
- Singles: Sanju Kumar, Rahul Kumar
- Doubles: Manoj Tiwari – Sanju Kumar
45+ Category:
- Singles: Manoj Tiwari (Men), Uma Rani Palit (Women)
- Doubles: Awadhesh Kumar Singh – Manoj Tiwari
50+ Category:
- Singles: Gulam Sarwar, Ram Prasad Guiya
- Doubles: Mahar Lal Oraon – Shankar Ram
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55+ Category:
- Singles: Rajesh Kumar
- Doubles: Dilip Tirkey – Kuldeep Tirkey
60+ Category:
- Women’s Singles: Tara Munni Tuti
- Men’s Singles: Lolas Kerketta
- Mixed Doubles: Arvind Bijay Bilung – Tara Muni Tuti
65+ Category:
- Men’s Singles: Manas Moitra, Ranjit Kumar Jena
- Doubles: Manas Moitra – Satish Kumar Singh
- Mixed Doubles: Narendra Kumar Singh – Meena Singh
70+ Category:
- Men’s Singles: Ganesh Prasad, Vijay Shankar
- Doubles: Ajit Singh – Ganesh Prasad
75+ Category:
- Men’s Singles: Janak Das, Narendra Kumar Singh
- Doubles: Janak Das – Narendra Kumar Singh
The tournament in Goa is expected to be a key event for senior players, with top performances potentially leading to selection for the upcoming World Senior Badminton Championship in Thailand.
