Team Goemkarponn
Navelim: On an intense Day Two of the Yonex-Sunrise All India Sub Junior (U-13) Ranking Badminton Tournament at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium, Goa’s Michael Ryan Mare lifted local spirits with a gritty performance in the Boys Doubles category. Partnering with Telangana’s Sai Charith Abbu, the Goan ace edged past Ajinkya Desai (Maharashtra) and Aadvik Sah (Uttarakhand) in a nerve-wracking second-round clash that ended 17-15, 5-15, 15-9. The victory propelled the Indo-state pair into the next round, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Michael, currently Goa’s top-ranked U-13 player, stood tall amidst a series of early exits for the state’s contingent, keeping hopes alive for a deeper run in the tournament.
In Boys Singles, Samarth Sakhalkar delivered one of the day’s most thrilling encounters. He survived a rollercoaster Round 3 battle against Telangana’s Venkat Sai Hishal Kaki, clinching the match 15-12, 15-17, 20-18. However, his campaign came to an end in Round 4, where he was outplayed by Kerala’s Milkha Shinoy S. with scores of 12-15, 9-15.
Elsewhere, the going was tough for other Goan shuttlers. Vishwa Parab, who had shown early promise, bowed out in the third round after a hard-fought 15-10, 10-15, 12-15 loss to Odisha’s Panshul Seth. Daksh Kamat was unable to match the pace and precision of Maharashtra’s Prathamesh Jagdale, falling 7-15, 5-15 in straight games.
In the Girls Singles category, Amaira Dhumatker continued to impress but couldn’t get past Tamil Nadu’s Jiyashree R., losing 9-15, 8-15 in Round 3. Kanika Pai Vernekar also exited early, going down 7-15, 5-15 to Andhra Pradesh’s Samanvitha Padamata in Round 2.
Goa’s second Boys Doubles pair, Pratik Naik Borkar and Varun Sahakari, struggled against a strong Telangana duo, Advait Sattu and Advik Shukla, suffering a heavy 4-15, 4-15 defeat.
On the national front, the competition heated up as several top seeds flexed their muscle. Uttar Pradesh’s Kandarp Khatri caused a major upset, knocking out second seed Kyon Tamin of Andaman & Nicobar 13-15, 15-5, 15-10 in Boys Singles Round 4. Meanwhile, third seed Jatin Saraf (Maharashtra) breezed past Karnataka’s Pratham Sandeep Bayar with a clinical 15-6, 15-6 win, and fourth seed Kian Yadav (Rajasthan) crushed Abhiraj Singh (Uttarakhand) 15-2, 15-4.
In Girls Singles, the top seed Twinkle Malik (Haryana) moved into the next round with ease, dispatching Odisha’s Adyasha Lenka 15-8, 15-13. Second seed Padmja Singh (Rajasthan) overcame a stiff challenge from Tanya Nanubolu (Andhra Pradesh) 15-5, 6-15, 15-8. Third seed Vanya Choudhary (Uttar Pradesh) showed no mercy as she blanked Kavya Vora (Gujarat) 15-2, 15-4.
Organized by the Goa Badminton Association under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India and supported by the Sports Authority of Goa, the tournament has drawn top young talent from across the country. The main draw action is set to begin on Wednesday, promising more high-octane clashes in this prestigious national event.
