300 players to compete in Punjab State Mini Ranking tourney

The Punjab State Mini Ranking Tournament kicked off at the Raizada Hansraj Badminton Stadium on Sunday, with nearly 300 players from 23 districts taking part in the competition. The event was inaugurated by Dr Rajkumar Chabbewal, Aam Aadmi Party Member of Parliament from Hoshiarpur, who emphasised the significance of sports in a child’s development.

“Sports at a young age play a vital role in shaping overall growth. They keep the body fit and energetic while instilling discipline, focus and time management. Sports also build confidence and teach how to handle both success and failure,” said Dr Chabbewal. He praised the efforts of the Jalandhar Badminton Association in promoting the sport in Punjab and expressed admiration for the facilities at the Hansraj Badminton Stadium.

Amritsar’s Nilesh Seth, who recently won the North Zone Badminton Championship at Una, was honoured with a cash award of Rs 11,000 during the ceremony. The event was also attended by Harnoor Singh Mann, AAP Halqa Incharge Phagwara, as the guest of honour.

Punjab Badminton Association Secretary Ritin Khanna provided details about the tournament, revealing that players are competing in eight events under the U-11 and U-13 categories. Over the next three days, 250 matches are set to be played, with the finals scheduled for September 23. Winners will not only receive cash prizes and attractive rewards but will also earn the honour of representing Punjab at the National Championships in November.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior Punjab Badminton Association officials, including Rakesh Khanna, Vinay Vohra, Jatinder Sandhu, Punjab Masih, Harpreet Singh, Dhiraj Sharma, Ashok Kumar and Sachin Ratti.