A first, Chandigarh Sports Dept to organise All-India Badminton Tournament
For the first time ever the Chandigarh Sports Department will host an All-India Administrator’s Badminton Tournament for under-14 and under-17 years (boys and girls) age group in the city. It will be organised on the lines of the All-India Administrator’s Challenge U-17 Football Cup, which the department has been hosting for almost two decades now.
The Administrator’s Cup for badminton will be organised in December, and will be a regular feature of the department’s annual calendar thereafter. The winners of the events (likely to be conducted in singles, doubles and mixed doubles for both age groups) will be handed over cash prizes. The department is already having over eight dedicated badminton courts across the city, including one Centre of Excellence for Badminton at the Sector 38 Sports Complex, to host this event.
The approximate expenditure budget for the tournament is Rs 45 lakh, almost double the existing All-India Administrator’s Challenge Football Cup (Rs 25 lakh approximate expenditure).
“It will be for the first time that we will be organising this (badminton) event. We are finalising the modalities and will try to make this event a success like the football event. The department hosted the 19th edition of the All-India Administrator’s Challenge Football Cup last year, and this year we will be achieving another milestone of hosting the 20th edition,” confirmed Sorabh Kumar Arora, Director, Sports.
The participants are expected to be invited with the help of the state badminton associations and the players will be provided with boarding and lodging facilities. Following the guidelines, the department will also conduct a medical age-verification test before starting the tournament. Since it’s for the first time, the department will also approach the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for technical help. Many top seeds players, who participated in the recently concluded North Zonal Badminton Championship, are likely to be part of this event. Setting the criteria, players completing 14 years and below 17 years during the start and end of the tournament will be eligible to participate in the event.
Cash awards events
Starting from October, the department will organise over 18 sports events. The winners of these events will be awarded Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 (first three position holders), claimed sources. The department will be hosting table tennis (U-14, U-17, U-19), weightlifting (sub junior and junior), swimming, kho kho (U-17), handball (U-17, U-19), special Olympics table tennis meet (for specially abled children), judo (U-17), athletics (U-19) and archery (U-17, U-19) tournaments in October.
The All-India Administrator’s Challenge Football Cup is scheduled to be held in November, followed by events of taekwondo (U-14, U-17) and squash in the same month. In December, the department will host basketball (U-17), followed by hosting the All-India Administrator’s Challenge Badminton tournament (U-14, U-17) and winter coaching campus.
In January 2025, the department will host an athletics meet for specially abled students and the Chandigarh marathon. The inter-department/boards and corporation tournament for badminton, cricket and volleyball are scheduled for February 2025, and in March, a trekking expedition and some events of All-India Civil Services Tournaments will be hosted by the department.
