Senior Badminton National C'ships set to start from December 18

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 16 (ANI): The 77th Inter-Zonal and 86th Senior National Badminton Championships, marking the culmination of an exciting domestic season that has witnessed the emergence of young talent and the resurgence of seasoned players, is set to take place from December 18-24 at the Karnataka Badminton Association courts.
According to a press release from the Badminton Association of India (BAI Media), the championships will commence with the Inter-Zonal team events, followed by the individual competitions starting on December 20. Defending men's singles champion Chirag Sen and women's singles titleholder Anmol Kharb will aim to retain their crowns in what promises to be an intensely competitive field.
"The Senior National Championships is the pinnacle of the domestic circuit. Considering the enhanced level of competition, badminton fans in Bengaluru can look forward to high-quality matches over the next seven days. We are also excited about the emergence of new stars among the young challengers taking on their seasoned peers. This will be the final BAI tournament of the year, aligning our calendar with the BWF (Badminton World Federation) calendar," said Sanjay Mishra, Secretary of the Badminton Association of India.
The level of competitiveness in the senior nationals is evident from the fact that no men's singles player has successfully defended the title since Chetan Anand in 2006-07. Similarly, Saina Nehwal remains the only women's singles player to win consecutive titles, achieving the feat in 2006-07 and 2017-18.
The team events have also showcased fierce competition, with defending champions Airport Authority of India (men's) and Maharashtra (women's) failing to qualify for the Inter-Zonal championships this year after being eliminated at the zonal stage.
In the individual events, Chirag Sen will face strong competition from world number 34 Priyanshu Rajawat, world number 37 Kiran George, last year's finalist M Tharun, and rising star Pranay Shettigar. In the women's category, Anmol Kharb will contend with experienced players such as Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap, and former champion Anupama Upadhayaya, as well as promising talents like Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, and Rakshitha Sree.
In doubles, mixed doubles champions Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, along with women's doubles champions Shruti Mishra and Priya Devi Konjengbam, will also seek to defend their titles.
This marks the third time Bengaluru is hosting the senior nationals since the turn of the century. The championships carry a total prize purse of Rs50 lakh, including Rs10 lakh for the team championships.
A live draw for both the team and individual events will be conducted on the eve of the respective competitions. (ANI)