Team Goemkarponn
Ponda: The qualification rounds of the Anil Paiginkar Memorial State Badminton Ranking Tournament for Seniors and Veterans witnessed a flurry of dominant performances, as several top contenders stamped their authority at the Badminton Hall, Ponda. The tournament is being hosted by Ponda Shuttlers under the aegis of the Goa Badminton Association.
Among the standout performers in the Men’s Singles qualifiers were Soham Khandeparkar, Owais Tahasildar, Shubham Swami, Rutav Kanabar, and Yousuf Shaikh, who cruised into the next round with convincing wins. Soham made light work of Niraj Humraskar, winning 15-8, 15-9, while Owais was clinical in his 15-1, 15-3 demolition of Pratyush Patil.
Shubham Swami ousted Vihaan Naik 15-9, 15-6, and Yousuf Shaikh got past Sarvadnya Khandeparkar 15-12, 15-5. In one of the most exciting clashes of the day, Rutav Kanabar staged a comeback to defeat Siddharth Hazra in a thrilling three-setter, 13-15, 15-4, 18-16.
Joining them in the next stage is Arjun Rehani, an India-ranked player recently posted at Goa’s CAG office, who showcased his class by overpowering Sujal Tirodkar 15-1, 15-8. Other notable winners in the singles bracket included Parth Joshi, who edged out Mihir Desai 15-10, 12-15, 15-9, and Devansh Sakpal, who comfortably beat Viveknath Gawas 15-5, 15-7.
In the Men’s Doubles qualifiers, the pair of Arjun Rehani and Ayaan Shaikh outclassed Kamesh Naik and Pratyush Patil 15-2, 15-8, while Owais Tahasildar and Sahil Sayed triumphed over Krishnaraj and Viraj Shriwant in a close contest, 16-14, 15-12.
Other doubles pairs advancing to the next round include Sushil Nayak/Yash Kunkalienkar, Kapil/Sandip Kanji, Kewal/Sunny Sawant, Arjun Bhagat/Parth Joshi, and Mayank Raj/Shaheen C.K.
With intense matchups and spirited performances on display, the qualifiers have set the stage for an exciting main draw in the coming days.
