Karnataka bank on Jolly, Kunnath
AP suffer defeat in team finals
Prakash Jolly and Jacqueline Rose Kunnath will be Karnataka’s best bets for a podium finish at the 34th National Junior badminton championships which begins at the PET Sports Complex courts here from Thursday.
Expectations will be high for fifth seed Prakash as he has to shoulder the responsibility of carrying the State’s hopes in the absence of defending champion and team-mate Aditya R Prakash, who is out of the age group meets.
The19-year-old Prakash has a tough task on hand in the boys singles event with the likes of Sumeet Reddy, who is the last year’s finalist, and Sai Praneeth in the field.
“I have beaten all the top players in the draw before,” said a confident Prakash. “I think all the shuttlers are competitive and each one has to play at his best to beat his rivals. It’s exciting because no one holds the edge over the others. I just want to take one match at a time,” added Prakash, who will meet Ankit Patel of Uttar Pradesh in the second round on Friday.
In the girls’ section, Andhra Pradesh’s Sikki Reddy and Kerala’s P C Thulasi are favourites to win the title. But eighth seed Jacqueline has the home advantage. A confident Jacqueline, who takes on Kaveri Phukan in the second round, said she wanted to go all the way to the final. “I just wanted to go out and play a good game. If I do that then I can go all the way to the final. Sikki (Reddy) and Thulasi are tough nuts to crack but that won’t worry me at all,“ said Jacqueline. Both Prakash and Jacqueline have got byes in the first round.
Maharashtra win
Maharashtra dethroned Andhra Pradesh 2-1 to lift the girls’ crown for the Shafi Quereshi Cup in the Inter-State Zonal meet on Wednesday. Later, Air India inflicted a 2-1 defeat on holders Andhra Pradesh in the boys’ final to clinch the Narang Cup.
Results (both finals):
Boys (Narang Cup):
Air India bt Andhra Pradesh 2-1 (H S Prannoy lt to B Sai Praneeth 12-21, 17-21; Prannoy/ K Pranav Chopra bt Sai Praneeth/ Sumeet Reddy 21-17, 21-4; Hirak Jyoti Neog bt Sumeet Reddy 17-21, 21-17, 21-18).
Girls: (Shafi Quereshi Cup): Maharashtra bt Andhra Pradesh 2-1 (Saee Purandare lt to Sikki Reddy 12-21, 10-21; Prajakta Sawant/ Gauri Ghate bt Sikki Reddy/ PV Sindhu 21-13, 18-21, 21-19; Sanyogitha Ghorpade bt Sindhu 21-14, 21-19).
