Maharashtra and Haryana Reach Semifinals in Junior Badminton Nationals; Historic All-Female Umpiring Panel

Gangtok, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : The 49th Junior (Under-19) National Badminton Championship kicked off on November 14 in Gangtok. Teams from Maharashtra and Haryana showcased their strength, securing easy victories in their opening matches.

In the girls’ event, Maharashtra defeated Assam 2-0, while Haryana’s boys triumphed over Maharashtra with the same scoreline. Additionally, the boys’ and girls’ teams from Uttarakhand both advanced to the semifinals by overcoming the host team, Sikkim.

This championship marks a significant milestone for Indian badminton, as it features the country’s first-ever all-female panel of chair umpires. A total of 17 umpires were selected from across the nation based on their performances at the All India Ranking Tournament held earlier this year in Jaipur.

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Raju Basnet, expressed pride in hosting participants from all over India in the beautiful state of Sikkim. He noted that the presence of an all-female umpiring team highlights Sikkim’s commitment to women’s empowerment and represents another step in that direction.

Sanjay Mishra, Secretary General of the Badminton Association of India, emphasized the importance of this initiative in encouraging women to pursue umpiring at higher levels. He stated that the goal is to nurture a larger pool of qualified female umpires and provide them with opportunities at major national events. This initiative aims to inspire more women to consider umpiring as a viable career option.