Pune: 84th Senior National Badminton Championship Organised At Shivajinagar

Pune, 4th January 2023: The countdown-50 ceremony for the 84th Senior National Badminton Championship was jointly organised by the Pune District and Metropolitan Badminton Association (PDMBA) and Pune Municipal Corporation at PDMBA complex, Shivajinagar, on Tuesday (3rd January).

“In any sport, you need to keep trying patiently for success. When I played for the first time in Pune, I was 11 years old and kept playing here for the next several years without success. Finally, I managed to win in the eighth year. So, the lesson is to keep trying, and enjoy the sport,” said Parupalli Kashyap, the former world no six, Arjuna awardee shuttler. He further stated that he has a nostalgic feeling at this venue.

“I have so many memories of this hall. I have played so many tournaments here, made friends, and formed rivalries, and I still remember those days when my mother used to cheer me up from the stands. I feel emotional, and thank you for inviting me here,” he said.

Kashyap also advised the players and their parents to witness the senior nationals in Balewadi.

“When I was young, I used to do line umpiring and learnt a lot by just watching the ace players. I used to mimic their style, and learn their ways, and as a player, it helped me a lot. I was fortunate to have so many senior players who willingly guided me. So, parents make sure that the kids are watching these top players in action. Not just for sport but they will realise the level of competition and what it takes to reach this level. This will be a learning process for them.”

He congratulated PDMBA officials for organising the tournament in such a big way.

“It’s a kind of celebration, and I hope to participate in this. I am trying to get fit and hopefully will become a part of this,” he said.

PMC Commissioner Vikram Kumar, Additional Commissioner Vikas Dhakne, Santosh Varule, Sushil Jadhav from Lokmanya Multipurpose co-op society, PN Gadgil’s director Renu Gadgil, PDMBA president Aniruddha Deshpande, secretary Ranjeet Natu, senior vice-president Annasaheb Natu, Girish Natu and Avinash Jadhav graced the occasion.

Meanwhile, players from Pune District teams of under-15 and under-17 were given paid scholarships (Rs5000 per month) for one year. The new team will be selected next year.

U-15 Girls: Rutika Chavan, Yashaswi Kale, Juee Jadhav; Boys – Avdhoot Kadam, Arjun Deshpande and Sarthak Patankar

U-17 Girls: Annaya Gadgil, Sanjana Ambekar, Achal Jain, Arti Chougule, Ojal Rajak; Boys- Yashwant Salokhe, Vedant Natu, Krishan Jasuja, Pranav Shinde and Shreyas Sane.

The Physio Partners, Dr Sonal Patole and Dr Kiran Kamble from Modern College were also felicitated.