WEDNESDAY, JULY 03, 2024
Team Herald
RAIA: The Goa Badminton Association’s State badminton ranking tournament for seniors, underway at the Manohar Parrikar indoor stadium, Navelim, produced thrilling semi-finals as players fought for a place in the finals.
The tournament, co-hosted by the Goa Sports Club and the Chicalim Badminton Club, has seen top performances from Tejan Fallary, Sufiya Shaikh and Arunesh Hari, who are all poised for double crowns each, which is also one of the selection tournaments for the West Zone and Nationals.
In the men’s singles, top-seeded Arunesh Hari delivered a commanding performance, defeating Nishant Shenai with a score of 21-10, 21-16. Sixth-seeded Rahul Deswal also showcased his prowess, overcoming Sushil Nayak 21-10, 21-13, setting up a highly anticipated final clash.
The men’s doubles semi-finals were equally exciting, with the top-seeded pair Arjun and Tejan Fallary winning a hard-fought match against Aryaman Saraf and Suraj Lama, finishing 21-19, 18-21, 21-10. Meanwhile, the second-seeded duo of Floyd Araujo and Fredrick Fernandes secured their spot in the final with a 21-15, 21-14 victory over Advait Balakrishnan and Parteek Mahajan.
In the women’s singles, second-seeded Shreya Mehta defeated Myra De Noronha 21-15, 21-15; while Ritika Chelluri triumphed over Janhavi Virnodkar 21-7, 21-9, ensuring an exciting final match between the two.
The women’s doubles saw Lydia Barreto and Yasmin Sayed, the top-seeded pair, overcome Ritika Chelluri and Shreya Mehta in a three-set match, winning 21-14, 18-21, 21-13. Sufiya Shaikh and Tabbasum Shaikh, the second seeds, also advanced into the final after defeating Janhavi Virnodkar and Synnovia Dsouza 21-18, 21-15.
In the mixed doubles category, the top-seeded pair of Tejan Fallary and Lydia Barreto secured their place in the final with a convincing 21-11, 21-8 victory over Mrunal Bhatkande and Minoshka Pereira. Arunesh Hari, paired with Sufiya Shaikh, also advanced into the final by defeating Aryaman Saraf and Yasmin Sayed 21-12, 21-13.
