Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa’s campaign at the Yonex-Sunrise U-13 National Ranking Badminton Tournament may have come to an end, but young shuttler Amaira Dhumatkar emerged as one of the standout performers with a series of spirited displays at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium in Navelim.
Competing against older players despite still being an Under 11 athlete, Amaira showcased remarkable composure and fighting spirit in the girls’ singles Round of 32. She pushed Rajasthan’s Adeeba Ali to the absolute limit in a thrilling three game battle before narrowly losing 12-21, 21-15, 26-24 after an intense contest that kept spectators engaged throughout.
Amaira also impressed in the doubles event, partnering Karnataka’s Shreeya A. Rao in the pre quarterfinal stage. The duo fought hard against Andhra Pradesh pair Evelyn Chavali and Sri Pravya Ponnaganti but eventually went down 16-21, 21-19, 21-14 after another closely contested encounter.
In the boys’ category, Goa’s Michael Mare saw his encouraging run come to an end against Manipur’s Devasis Singh Nameirakpam. Despite losing the opening game heavily, Mare responded strongly in the second game before falling short 21-7, 23-21.
While the home contingent bowed out of the tournament, several leading contenders continued their strong march in the championship. Top seed Rehaan Dudekula of Andhra Pradesh maintained his dominance with a commanding straight games victory, while Uttar Pradesh player Sumay Tripathi delivered one of the biggest upsets of the day by eliminating fourth seed Sibi Jero J of Tamil Nadu.
Fifth seed Ishmeet Arora from Madhya Pradesh and sixth seed Ram Charan Teja Akula of Telangana also progressed comfortably in the boys’ draw. In the girls’ competition, top seed Lyosha Korukonda and third seed Anvi Reddy Gade, both from Telangana, advanced smoothly into the next stage.
Goa Badminton Association president Manoj Patil praised Amaira’s efforts, highlighting her ability to compete strongly against older opponents and describing her as a promising talent for the future.
