Ace young shuttlers to battle it out in Mandi

The Himachal Pradesh State-Level Sub-Junior Under-15 and Under-17 Badminton Championship commenced here yesterday with enthusiasm. The championship was inaugurated by Mandi Sadar MLA and former minister Anil Sharma.

Several dignitaries, including Himachal Pradesh Badminton Association president Vijay Thakur, general secretary Ramesh Thakur, treasurer Sanjay Kalia, vice-presidents Chander Shekhar Turki, Pankaj Sharma and Vishnu Dutt Modgil, as well as Rajender Sharma, former joint secretary of the Badminton Association of India, were present during the opening ceremony.

The convenor of the championships Balwant Jhouta, Mandi District Badminton Association president Vivek Hazari, general secretary Datul Chauhan, and chief referee Vijay Dhauta were also present along with officials Vidyasagar Sharma, Jitender Vaidya, Ashok Sethi, PR Rana, Narender Rana, Atul Sharma and Lakhwinder Singh.

In his address, Anil Sharma highlighted the upcoming sports infrastructure plans for Mandi. He announced that a new indoor sports stadium, costing Rs 23 crore, was proposed to be constructed in Mandi city. A detailed project report (DPR) worth Rs 21.95 crore had already been prepared and submitted to the state government. However, Sharma expressed concern over bureaucratic delays, noting that the DPR was yet to be forwarded to the Central Government under the Khelo India scheme.

He further informed that nine bighas of land at Paddal, Mandi, had been allocated to the Sports Department for the proposed indoor sports complex, which would accommodate multiple sports disciplines, including 12 badminton courts. In addition, 12.30 bighas of land at Raghunath ka Padhar was earmarked for developing a cricket stadium, AstroTurf, and hockey track, with a proposal for this project also sent to the state government.

Sharma urged young players to stay away from drugs, emphasising that sports was the best alternative to addiction. He also criticised the state government, stating that although it publicly campaigns against drug abuse, its efforts remain ineffective on the ground due to a lack of focus on strengthening sports infrastructure.

The championship aims to promote young badminton talent from across Himachal Pradesh and would witness participation from promising players in both the U-15 and U-17 categories.