Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goan shuttlers delivered an encouraging performance on the opening day of the qualifying rounds at the Yonex Sunrise 48th Indian Masters Veteran National Badminton Championships 2025 to 2026 held at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium in Navelim, Goa. Several local players advanced with impressive victories across different categories.
Chinmay Fallary led the Goan charge with a confident win in the Men’s Singles 55 category, defeating Manoj Narayanan Karinattu of Maharashtra in a controlled performance. Fallary maintained steady pressure throughout the match to secure a convincing result and move ahead in the tournament.
In the Men’s Doubles 65 event, the Goan pair of Deepak Salaskar and A R Surendra Kamath produced a determined display to defeat Cherian Marattukalam Jacob and Rajeev R N of Kerala. The contest extended to three games, with the Goan duo holding their composure in the decisive stages to seal the victory.
Another closely fought encounter took place in the Mixed Doubles 60 category, where third seeded Albert Jaques and Anjali Lava from Goa edged past Hari Prakash Sharma and Sujata Sharma of Rajasthan. The match remained competitive throughout, but the Goan combination managed to maintain their momentum and secure a narrow win.
However, not all results went in favour of the host state. Rajen Mathew faced a tough challenge in the Men’s Singles 55 event and was defeated by Padmanabha Iyer Sasikumar of Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Vishnu Dutt Sharma from Goa and his partner Ammar Kattack were eliminated after losing to the Tamil Nadu pair of Maran Thangavelu and Arunachallam Veiraiah.
The championship, organised by the Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with the national governing body, has already produced several notable results. Among the seeded players, top seed Rathan Nahar advanced in the Men’s Singles 55 category, while Santhosh Krishnankutty from Kerala caused an upset by eliminating fourth seed Mahendra Singh Gehlot.
In the Men’s Singles 60 category, top seed Suresh Ayyappan progressed comfortably along with other seeded contenders Harmeet Singh Anand and Vipool Patel. However, fourth seed Himanshu Goel suffered an early exit, adding to the surprises on the opening day of the tournament.
