Bhubaneswar: The 33rd National Sub-Junior Badminton Championships 2019, commenced here simultaneously at East Coast Railway Indoor Stadium and Saheed Nagar Indoor Hall today. Over 500 budding shuttlers from 33 States and Union Territories will be part of the tournament.
The Odisha State Badminton Association (OSBA) is hosting the championship for the first time with the support of Sports & Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha.
The six-day championship was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Secretary, Asit Tripathy in the presence of Badminton Association of India (BAI) Vice-President O D Sharma, OSBA President Rohit Pujari and Tournament Convenor Rajesh Patil.
Odisha ace Rutaparna Panda, who arrived here from Dhaka after finishing women’s doubles runners-up at the Bangladesh International Challenge, was the star attraction of the inaugural ceremony.
Rutaparna shared her recent experience and encouraged young generation shuttlers to do well in the ongoing championship.
The opening day action started with first-round matches in U-15 and U-17 mixed doubles events. These were followed by duels in U-15 boys and girls singles.
With Bhubaneswar playing host to a National championship for the first time, both the venues attracted sizeable crowds on the opening day.
“The arrangements are top class and the teenagers are playing quality badminton,’’ said Harish Mishra, an avid badminton follower.
“The live telecast of the matches inside the stadium is excellent. This helps the crowd known the players and the score,’’ observed Saheli Das, a college student.