Goa Shines on Opening Day of 47th Indian Masters National Badminton Championship

Goa Shines on Opening Day of 47th Indian Masters National Badminton Championship
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PANJIM: Local players excelled on the opening day with Sahil Bhutani and Mihir Desai securing a hard-fought victory in the Men’s Doubles 35+ category overcoming Nikhil Mansukhani and Aditya Swami 15-12, 5-15, 18-16 in a gripping contest of the 47th Indian Masters National Badminton Championship 2025 qualification rounds at the Peddem Indoor Stadium, Mapusa, on Sunday.

In the Men’s Doubles 45+ category, Goa’s Parag Chauhan and Govind Navelkar dominated their match against Ananda Kumar J and Ramesh Kumar Antony, winning comfortably 15-5, 15-10.

Another Goan pair, Arnaldo Rodrigues and Praveen Shenoy, also impressed, defeating Lenin Madhu and Anand NP 15-8, 15-9 to advance to the next round.

Among other vital results, Upendra Fadnis and former India international player Nikhil Kanitkar (MAH/RBI) showcased their class in the Men’s Doubles 45+ category overcoming Madhu K and Amel Dev S 15-10, 15-11.

Fadnis later teamed up with Anika Lele in the Mixed Doubles 45+ event registering a commanding 15-3, 15-6 win over Anurag Shukla and Diana Reuben.

The Men’s Doubles 50+ category also witnessed exciting matches, with top players Amrish Shinde and Jaison Xavier defeating Nehru G and Elangeswaran P 15-11, 15-6, while Gurdeep Singh Arora and Manish Bhati battled past A Aravind and A Govindankutty Nambiar in a thrilling three-setter 13-15, 15-11, 15-12.

In the Mixed Doubles 40+ category, the duo of M Behal and R Ingalhalikar edged out Manish Rawat and Nupura Gadgil in a nail-biting match 15-13, 15-17, 16-14.

On Sunday, 504 matches were held across 18 courts as veterans and former international stars began their battles for national honours.

With the tournament gaining momentum, fans can expect even more high-octane matches in the coming days as top-seeded players and former national champions enter the fray.

The main draw matches are set to begin on March 17, promising exciting action as the road to the BWF World Seniors Championship selection continues.

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