PANAJI
Goa will host All India Masters Ranking Badminton Tournament 2021, one of the first major national ranking badminton tournaments after a lengthy break in the domestic action since March 2020 forced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tournament will be held at Indoor Stadium, Navelim from 19 to 26 September 2021 and is a selection tournament for the Indian team that will participate in the forthcoming BWF World Seniors Championships to be held in Spain from November 28 to December 4.
Some months back, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) had decided to resume domestic badminton action in the country with Senior Ranking Tournaments to resume in April with revamped structure and revised prize money worth Rs 2.2 crore.
But, with the second wave of the Covid-19 in the country, the tournaments had to be postponed. Now with the Covid situation substantially improving across the country, the BAI has decided to roll out its first tournament since lockdown which will be for the Masters (veterans) players from age groups 35+ and above.
Approximately 500 to 700 players will be expected to participate which will include about 70 Goan players who will compete in the tournament. There will be many former national champions who will converge to Goa.
The State will pin its hopes on their star Masters players like Sandhya Melasheemi, Ashutosh Pednekar, Sandeep Kanji, Kamlesh Kanji, Dr Satish Kudchadkar, Dr Sicletica Rebello, Amit Kakkar and Vishal Vernekar, who have won medals previously for Goa in the National Masters circuit during previous seasons.
