Senior Badminton National Championships Set to Begin on December 18
Bengaluru (Karnataka), December 16: The 77th Inter-Zonal and 86th Senior National Badminton Championships are all set to kick off on December 18, 2024, at the Karnataka Badminton Association courts in Bengaluru. The tournament will run until December 24, bringing together top domestic badminton talent for a week of intense competition.
This year’s championships mark the culmination of an exciting domestic season that has witnessed the rise of young talents alongside the resurgence of seasoned players. The competition will begin with the Inter-Zonal team events, followed by individual competitions starting on December 20.
Defending men’s singles champion Chirag Sen and women’s singles titleholder Anmol Kharb will be looking to retain their titles in what promises to be a highly competitive field.
Sanjay Mishra, Secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), spoke about the significance of the tournament, saying, “The Senior National Championships is the pinnacle of the domestic circuit. Considering the enhanced level of competition, badminton fans in Bengaluru can look forward to high-quality matches over the next seven days. We are also excited about the emergence of new stars among the young challengers taking on their seasoned peers. This will be the final BAI tournament of the year, aligning our calendar with the BWF (Badminton World Federation) calendar.”
The level of competitiveness in the senior nationals is evident from the fact that no men’s singles player has successfully defended the title since Chetan Anand in 2006-07. In the women’s singles, Saina Nehwal remains the only player to win consecutive titles, achieving the feat in 2006-07 and 2017-18.
In the team events, defending champions Airport Authority of India (men’s) and Maharashtra (women’s) have not qualified for the Inter-Zonal championships this year, after being eliminated in the zonal stage.
In the individual events, Chirag Sen will face tough competition from world number 34 Priyanshu Rajawat, world number 37 Kiran George, last year’s finalist M Tharun, and rising star Pranay Shettigar. In the women’s category, Anmol Kharb will contend with experienced players like Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap, former champion Anupama Upadhayaya, and promising talents such as Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, and Rakshitha Sree.
In the doubles events, mixed doubles champions Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, along with women’s doubles champions Shruti Mishra and Priya Devi Konjengbam, will aim to defend their titles.
This year’s championships mark the third time Bengaluru has hosted the senior nationals since the turn of the century. The event carries a total prize purse of Rs50 lakh, with Rs10 lakh allocated for the team championships.
A live draw for both the team and individual events will take place on the eve of the respective competitions, adding to the excitement surrounding this prestigious tournament.
