PANAJI
Goa's senior shuttlers along with multiple athletes secured places in the pre-quarterfinals on day six of the 47th Indian Masters Nationals in Peddem. Alongside Goa's successes, India's top-seeded veteran players demonstrated their prowess, dominating matches in the higher age categories.
Roseline Bunyan (WS 65+), Manjiri Moktali (WS 55+), and Rupchandra Humraskar (MS 60+) delivered strong straight-game victories to progress to the next round. Goa's Tanaji Sawant (MS 70+) fought hard in a three-game battle before securing his spot, while Pradeep Dhond (MS 70+), Satish Dhondu Kudchadkar (MS 75+), and the doubles pair of J. D'Souza & K. Prabhakar (MD 70+) ensured Goa’s presence remained strong in the later stages of the competition. The mixed doubles pair of Pradeep Dhond & Judy Fernandes (XD 60+) also advanced with a convincing win.
As the championship shifted focus to the higher age groups of 55+ to 75+, some of India’s top veteran players showcased their dominance. Ram Lakhan (PNB) [1] displayed his class in MS 60+, securing a clinical win, while Ramzauva K. (Mizoram) [3] overcame a spirited challenge from Goa’s Manish Patel. In MS 70+, Balbir Singh Jamwal (J&K) [1] and Anil Kumar Sondhi (Chhattisgarh) [3] navigated their way into the next round, with the latter grinding out a tough three-game match. Sanjay Srivastava (Uttar Pradesh) [1] looked in control in MS 65+, while Parun Singh H. (Manipur) [2] survived a scare before sealing his spot in the MS 70+ pre-quarterfinals. Meanwhile, top-seeded Rajeev Sharma (CAG) [1] continued his smooth run in MS 55+, alongside Sanyasi Rao Ch. (Andhra Pradesh) [2], who dominated his match. In MS 75+, Basant Kumar Shikari (Madhya Pradesh) [2] showed his class with a commanding win.
