Team Herald
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PANJIM: Goa who are also hosts to the All India Masters Badminton Ranking Tournament are assured of winning a haul of medals with their shuttlers putting up an impressive performance.
In the championship organised by Goa Badminton Association under the aegis of Badminton Association of India at Multipurpose Stadium, Peddem, Goa’s former State women’s champion Sandhya Melasheemi made it into the semi-finals in three categories, women’s 35+ singles, 35+ doubles and 35+ mixed doubles.
In the men’s 35+ doubles, Goa’s Vishal Vernekar and Amit Kakkar are likewise through into the semi-finals. Also to make the semis grade is Goa’s former state champion Sandip Kanji who had to battle hard through tough three set games in his earlier rounds before a more comfortable straight sets win over Mandar Ranade in the Men’s 45+ singles quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Mahesh Pauskar and Kishore Raghubans booked their place into the quarter finals in men’s 45+ doubles age group while Wilfred Jacques (Goa) along with his partner Vinay Gupta have also made the last 8 grade in men’s 45+ doubles. In men’s 40+ doubles section, Sandip along with his brother Kamlesh Kanji are one step away from winning a medal with an exciting three sets win in their pre-quarter-finals clash against Rajesh Das / Madhu K. Felix Dias and Judy Braganza Fernandes (Goa) defeated Nityanand Patil / Asmita Patil to seal a berth in mixed doubles 50+ quarter-finals.
