Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa’s Ateendra Gaonkar began his campaign with a hard fought victory at the Yonex Sunrise G.H. Raisoni Memorial All India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament 2026, while Shaheen C.K., Aswin Mannambalath, Sparsh Kolwalkar and Vedh Lotlikar also progressed through the qualification rounds.
Competing in the Boys’ Singles Under 19 category at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium in Navelim, Ateendra defeated Delhi’s Vardaan Verma 16 14, 16 14 to secure his place in the next round.
However, several other Goan shuttlers faced tough challenges. Soham Naik went down in a three game encounter against Madhya Pradesh’s Medhansh Sharma, while Sudhanva Udupa fought hard before losing 11 15, 15 11, 15 11 to Odisha’s Bhargav Daram Jeevitesh.
Owais Tahasildar and Shaurya Naik also put up determined performances but were unable to overcome Maharashtra’s Yash Dhembare and Karnataka’s Shreyas Chandrashekar, respectively. Aaryan Karpe and Viraditya Pai Kane battled against their respective opponents, while Palak Ramnathkar made a spirited effort in the Girls’ Singles Under 19 category before losing to Delhi’s Sakshi Rana.
The qualification rounds began on Friday, bringing together junior badminton players from across the country for the eight day national championship, scheduled from October 23 to 30. Shaheen C.K., Vedh Lotlikar, Sparsh Kolwalkar and Aswin Mannambalath advanced through walkovers, providing further encouragement for the Goa contingent.
Meanwhile, Arnav Ramnathkar, Raj Dhume, Pratik Naik Borkar, Neil Punjani Bakshi and Ritika Chelluri exited their respective events.
Organised with the support of the G.H. Raisoni Sports and Cultural Foundation, Nagpur, the tournament features Under 19 competitions across five events and offers a total prize pool of ₹8 lakh.
