SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 18: Aadya Singh, a state-level junior badminton champion from Jamshedpur, has become the first girl from Jharkhand to qualify for the National Defence Academy (NDA) since it opened its doors to women in 2022.
Aadya secured an All India Rank of 136 in the Navy wing of the NDA examination and ranked 15th among female candidates.
Her maternal uncle, Ravi Singh—former treasurer of the Jharkhand Badminton Association—shared that despite her consistent success in badminton from a young age, Aadya always aspired to join the defence or medical field. With her NDA selection, she has now achieved that goal.
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Former Jharkhand Champion in Singles and Doubles
A resident of Adityapur in Jamshedpur, Aadya Singh is well known across Jharkhand for her natural badminton skills and remarkable performances at both the state and national levels.
She dominated the junior badminton circuit in the state until 2022, when she stepped away from the sport due to internal politics within the state badminton association.
Aadya was the state champion in both singles and doubles in the under-17 and under-19 girls’ categories at the 2021 Dhanbad championships. She replicated this feat at the 2022 state championships held at Mohan Ahuja Stadium, Jamshedpur.
However, in the Dumka state championship, she had to settle for the runner-up position, losing the singles final to her doubles partner Saraah Sharma.
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From Court to Command
Aadya represented Jharkhand in several national junior badminton tournaments. Experts and coaches in the state considered her one of the most naturally gifted players and believed she had the potential to reach the international level had she continued in the sport.
After her 2022 state championship win, Aadya moved to Lucknow to prepare for the NDA examination, setting aside her badminton career to pursue her long-standing dream of joining the armed forces.
