Jharkhand U-19 badminton championship kicks off in Jamshedpur

SUBHASH MISHRA

Dhanbad, Sept 17: The Jharkhand State Under-19 Boys and Girls Badminton Championship, along with the selection trials, commenced today at the Tata Steel Badminton Training Centre, located in the JRD Stadium, Jamshedpur.

Jharkhand Badminton Association General Secretary K. Prabhakar Rao shared that over 100 players from various districts across the state are participating in the three-day event, which will run from September 17 to 19.

“This championship will provide an opportunity for players to showcase their skills and earn a spot on the state team for the national championship,” said K. Prabhakar Rao, who recently returned from the Paralympic Games in Paris as the manager of the Indian squad.

Rao also serves as the chairman of the National Paralympic Badminton Committee and is the joint secretary of the All India Badminton Association.

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A panel of qualified national referees under convener Avinash Tiwari is conducting the championship.

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Top players to watch in Girls’ category

In the girls’ competition, the spotlight is on top-ranked players such as Sarrah Sharma from Jamshedpur, Ananya Singh, Yogita Bora from Ranchi, and Ibhi Maan from Dhanbad, who are seen as strong contenders for the championship trophy.

However, one notable absence is Adhya Singh from Jamshedpur, who has skipped the championship yet again. Adhya, once regarded as one of Jharkhand’s most talented junior players, has not competed since last year.

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Fierce competition expected in Boys’ event

The boys’ event is also expected to witness intense competition, with top seed Krish Dubey, Neeraj Kesri from Ranchi, Raunak Negi from Jamshedpur, brothers Aman and Ayan from Ranchi, and Udit Dayal from Dhanbad all vying for the championship trophy.

The matches are anticipated to be closely fought as these players aim for top honours.