Karnal’s rising stars make waves in Uttarakhand

Young badminton players from Karnal made a strong impression at the Open Junior Badminton Tournament organised by the Victor-Padukone School of Badminton (PSB) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The tournament featured intense singles matches across various age categories and drew participation from emerging talents across the region.

Players representing REX Karnal delivered commendable performances in multiple categories, including Boys Under-13, Boys Under-15, Girls Under-17 and Boys Under-17.

Sharing details of the tournament, Davinder Lathar, head of REX Karnal, announced that Praneet Waraich emerged as the champion in the Girls Under-17 category. Somil Kamboj secured the silver medal in the Boys Under-13 category and also reached the semi-finals in the Boys Under-15 category, showcasing remarkable consistency across divisions. Meanwhile, Rannvijay Singh made it to the quarterfinals in both the Under-13 and Under-15 boys’ categories.

Lathar praised the efforts of the coaching team at REX Karnal, trained under the guidance of the Padukone School of Badminton. He especially lauded coach Saurabh Saxena, whose disciplined and passionate approach has been instrumental in nurturing young talent.

All participating players were felicitated by the REX Karnal management. The academy operates from the Indoor Sports Complex in Karnal — a premier sports infrastructure project developed under the Smart City initiative at a cost of Rs 44 crore. The complex is a flagship initiative of former Haryana CM and current Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.