Ludhiana District Badminton Tournament Kicks Off with Over 500 Players

The Shastri Badminton Hall in Ludhiana buzzed with excitement on Tuesday as the district badminton championship swung open its doors. Over 500 hopefuls, ranging from sprightly under‑11s to seasoned teens, stepped onto the court, each chasing the chance to be crowned Ludhiana’s best.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, who also serves as president of the Badminton Association of Ludhiana (BAL), cut the ribbon and urged the participants to play with heart, discipline and a dash of fun. Around him sat the association’s senior brass – chairman M.S. Grewal, vice‑presidents Vipon Dawar and Neeraj Mahajan, general secretary Sulbha Jindal, technical secretary Charanjit Singh, joint secretaries Mangat Sharma and Puneetinder Singh Grewal, plus executive members Anand Tiwari, Arjun Chaudhary and Hemant Singh – all watching the opening matches with keen eyes.

The first day’s action was a parade of clear‑cut wins. In the Under‑11 boys’ singles, Surya Jain dispatched Kartik Puri 15‑10, 15‑1, while Harsharan Singh Baj triumphed over Reyansh Bajaj 15‑8, 15‑3. Divyanshu Chona edged Pratyush Dev 15‑12, 15‑10 and Agam Bhalla beat Anmol Babkoo 15‑11, 15‑11. Himonish Dhiman dominated Hemant Bhanji 15‑3, 15‑1, and Kunal Rajpurohit marched ahead after a walk‑over. On the girls’ side, Aadashpreet Kaur was in fine form, defeating Gunraaz Kaur 15‑9, 15‑4, while Shuvi Kaur ran away with a 15‑1, 15‑2 win over Akira Jain. Navika Goel made a statement too, cruising past Elahi Bansal 15‑5, 15‑0.

The Under‑13 girls’ bracket produced a series of one‑sided affairs. Aradhya Kaushal beat Sudiksha Meena 15‑7, 15‑4 and Avni Singhsania took down Vanshika Kapoor 15‑7, 15‑7. Rajbala Kaur and Maanvi both posted 15‑8, 15‑8 and 15‑3, 15‑2 victories respectively. Sunder Kaur Namdhari, Shatakshi Dhiman, Nitara Sharma, Avleen Kaur and Tania Dhiman all won comfortably, but the most emphatic performance came from Prabhnoor Kaur, who thrashed Talzmeen Kaur 15‑0, 15‑1.

With the opening day now in the books, the tournament will roll on over the next few days, featuring more age categories and a fresh batch of clashes. Players will keep fighting for district titles and a coveted spot among Ludhiana’s emerging badminton talent.