Unnati & Anupama high contenders at Smt Krishna Khaitan Memorial Jr Badminton event

Haryana’s 15-year-old shuttler Unnati Hooda, who received the Odisha Open Super Series 100 earlier this yr, might be one of many high contenders within the Under-19 ladies’ singles class of the Yonex-Sunrise twenty ninth Smt Krishna Khaitan Memorial All India Junior Ranking Selection Prize Money event to be performed at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula from July 7-13.

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Unnati, who additionally turned the Khelo India champion final month, might be joined within the draw by Anupama Upadhyaya, winner of the Polish International Challenge 2020 and the No.4-ranked junior participant on the planet.

The event, which is being organised by Express Shuttle Club Trust underneath the aegis of Haryana Badminton Association, is being held after a spot of two years and might be one of many three choice tournaments for the Badminton Association of India (BAI) to select the junior group for numerous worldwide occasions, together with the world junior championships to be held in October in Santander, Spain.

“The tournament is happening after a gap of two years and we have got more than 1,350 entries for the tournament. While we have received more than 550 entries in the boys’ singles category, more than 330 players compete in the girls’ singles category including the qualification rounds. Unnati Hooda, who became India’s youngest player to win a BWF Super Series 100 title, will be competing in the girls’ U-19 singles as well as doubles events while Lakshay Sharma, winner of last year’s Hungarian international, will be one of the top shuttlers in the boys’ U-19 singles event,” stated Sanjiv Sachdeva, organising secretary of the event.

The event was final performed in August 2019 when greater than 800 gamers competed within the occasion at Panchkula. The event, which might be performed on the ten courts of the Multi-Purpose Hall and 4 courts of the Badminton Hall on the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, is being performed after the All India Junior Ranking U-19 Tournament in Bengaluru, one of many tournaments for the choice of the Indian junior group, and can provide a complete prize purse of Rs 4 lakh. In 2019, Aditi Bhatt had received the women’ U-19 title beating Unnati Bist whereas Maisnam Meiraba of Manipur had emerged because the winner within the boys’ U-19 part with a win over Sathish Kumar of Tamil Nadu.

Sanjiv Sachdeva, organising secretary of event together with different official speaking about Yonex Sunrise twenty ninth Smt. Krishna Khaitan Memorial All India Junior Ranking Prize Money Badminton Tournament 2022. (Express photograph by Jasbir Malhi )

In the previous, London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal had received the women’ singles title in 2005 whereas double Olympics medallist PV Sindhu received the title in 2010. “PVV Laxmi had become the first champion of this tournament in 1991 and Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu won the title in subsequent years. In recent years, players like Malvika Bansod, Priyanshu Rajawat and Aditi Bhatt have won the titles and become part of Indian teams. Players will be required to play in all three tournaments at Bengaluru, Panchkula and Goa in an effort to gain a spot in the Indian junior team. Following the Covid-19 protocols, we will not be allowing any parents on the courts during matches,” stated Sachdeva, a former India junior chief coach and now a member of BAI’s junior choice committee.

Last week’s All India U-13 Ranking Tournament organised by Punjab Badminton Association in Mohali noticed protest by mother and father on the problem of allegedly over-age gamers competing. It was adopted by BAI suspending two gamers from Rajasthan. Sachdeva assured that there might be no such case within the Panchkula event. “Surinder Mahajan, BAI joint secretary and member of BAI’s age-fraud committee, will be the BAI observer during the tournament and the association will be checking each individual entry into the tournament. More than 20 BAI-approved referees, including chief referee Ramakrishnaiah, will be conducting the tournament and the main draw matches will start on July 1,” stated Sachdeva.