Jalandhar shuttler in Indian team for World Junior Championship

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, August 23

Jalandhar-based badminton player Abhinav Thakur has made the state proud by making it to the Indian junior badminton team that will take part in the World Junior Championship to be held in Spain from October 24 to 30.

Only player to represent state

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• Abhinav Thakur is All-India first rank holder in badminton in U-19 doubles category and ninth rank holder in U-19 singles. He is also the state’s first rank holder in men singles and doubles.
• Among the nine players selected for the championship from across India, Abhinav is the only player from Punjab, who has made it to the India team

Having started playing badminton at the age of eight, Abhinav has won numerous medals at the state and national levels. He is All-India first rank holder in badminton in U-19 doubles category and ninth rank holder in U-19 singles. He is also the state’s first rank holder in men’s singles and doubles.

Abhinav said: “I have been playing badminton for the past 10 years. I am very passionate about it, and want to be a successful badminton player one day. In the U-19 doubles category for the World Championship, Arsh Mohammad from Uttar Pradesh has been selected as my partner.” He said at present, both of them are receiving training from Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. Sudarshan Singh Thakur, father of Abhinav, who works in the Railways, said his son had been a dedicated sportsman. “He recently passed his Class XII with flying colours. I am very proud of him and hope he will bring gold for India in the World Championship”, he added.

He said as many as nine players for both singles and doubles category had been selected for the championship from across India, and Abhinav was the only player from Punjab, who had made it to the team.

Sudarshan Singh Thakur said his son had won gold medal in the National Ranking Championship 2018, gold medal in the U-17 Punjab State Badminton Championship, silver medal in the U-19 category in the same championship and in the U-19 doubles category at the All-India Junior National Badminton Ranking Championship held in Goa last month.