PEDDEM: The electrifying atmosphere at the Yonex-Sunrise All India Sub Junior Badminton Ranking Tournament 2024 organised by the Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with Badminton Association of India and Sports Authority of Goa continued to captivate audiences on Day 3 with showcasing remarkable talent and fierce competition as qualifying matches unfolded, at the multipurpose stadium, Peddem, on Sunday.
In the U-17 girls singles, local talent Dimple Revankar of Goa emerged as a standout performer, securing a hard-fought victory against Mythri Velugula in Qualification Round 1, only to face a tough 5-15, 6-15 defeat against Gowri Bhat in the subsequent round. Additionally, in the U-15 girls singles category, Revankar showcased commendable skills despite falling short against Shreeja Wankhede, going down by 8-15, 10-15 scoreline.
Goa’s Astrid Dias displayed resilience in a closely contested match against Maharashtra’s Venisha Kolhe succumbing to a narrow 15-7, 4-15,16-14 defeat. In other results featuring Goa girls in U-15 singles, Jasmitha Penneru defeated Astha Poudel (Goa) 15-1, 15-2; Yamini V S (Tamil Nadu) outplayed Aaryaa Metry (Goa) 15-10, 15-6 and Angel outplayed Palak Ramnathkar (Goa) 15-8, 15-6.
In the U-17 boys singles, Priyansh upset qualification top seed Lesslee Roy 15-11, 15-11. Gurtej Singh Vasir had a good day outplaying Konark Inchekar (7). Avadh Billore (5), Saivasan B (8), Bornil Akash Changmai (3) progressed into the final qualification round.
In U-17 girls singles, Remya Pravin (1), Mayukha Sreejesh Nair (8), Nishika Gokhe (2), Disha Santosh (5), Gagana Kolapaneni, Sampriti Pal (6), Shaina Manimuthu (4) and Praanjala Nisarga were among the players who progressed into the final qualification round. The main draw of the eight day event commences on May 14.
“This prestigious national ranking event is a good exposure to Goan players to play against the best young talents from India. A few players such as Dimple Revanker and Astrid Dias put up notable performances. There is a lot of interest among Goans in badminton but the lack of specialised training academies hinders their progress at the national level. We plan to build on the momentum created in the last few years and the legacy of the National Games to develop Goa talent through state-of-the-art centers of excellence where a few years down the line, we will see much improved performances,” stated Manoj Patil, Goa Badminton Association president.
