Doubles pair of Pradeep Dhond and Tanaji Sawant also settles for bronze
Peddem: Goa’s Manju Khandeparkar and the men’s doubles duo of Pradeep Dhond and Tanaji Sawant secured bronze medals at the 47th Yonex Sunrise Indian Masters National Badminton Championships at Peddem, booking their spots for the BWF World Seniors Championships in Thailand later this year.
Manju fought valiantly in the Women’s Singles 60+ semifinals before falling to top-seeded Manjusha Sahasrabuddhe (Maharashtra) 18-21, 4-21. In the Men’s Doubles 70+ category, Dhond and Sawant were ousted in the semis by Kerala’s Abdul Latheef Kunju and Cleflend Mendez, going down 9-21, 12-21.
Elsewhere, defending champions and top seeds showcased their class in the finals. Ram Lakhan (PNB) clinched the Men’s Singles 60+ crown with a commanding 21-15, 21-12 win over Telangana’s Murthy A. V S Manjusha Sahasrabuddhe completed a dominant run in the Women’s Singles 60+ category, easing past Karnataka’s Jyothi Somaiah 21-11, 21-7.
In the Men’s Singles 55+ final, reigning World Champion Rajeev Sharma (CAG) underlined his pedigree, defeating Maharashtra’s Murali Subramaniyam 21-17, 21-16 to claim the national title. Meanwhile, the Men’s Doubles 60+ final saw an upset as top-seeded Ram Lakhan and Harjit Singh (PNB/DLI) were edged out by Kerala-Maharashtra pair Shibu Andrews and John in a gripping 23-25, 21-9, 21-13 battle.
On the women’s side, the Women’s Doubles 60+ title went to Maharashtra’s Manik Paranjpe and Manjusha Sahasrabuddhe, who overcame Surekha Satam and Jyothi Somaiah (Maharashtra/Karnataka) 21-14, 21-13. Uttarakhand-Kerala duo Punita Nagalia and Susy V. John dominated the Women’s Doubles 70+ final, dispatching Anita Kothiala and Saroja (Gujarat/Karnataka) 21-5, 21-8.
The Mixed Doubles 55+ final produced a thriller, with Lingeswara Rao and Suzanne Venglet (AP/TN) rallying past Kiran Makode and Poonam Tatwawadi (Maharashtra/Madhya Pradesh) 16-21, 21-18, 21-17.
