Date:21/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/21/stories/2004072101491900.htm

Sport - Badminton

Kanetkar qualifies for Athens Olympics

BANGALORE, JULY 20 Indian ace shuttler Nikhil Kanetkar has qualified for the up coming Athens Olympics.

According to reports received here on Monday, Nikhil, who was on the reserved list, became qualified when Baby Milroi and Andrew Debak of Canada withdrew, according to a letter from International Badminton Federation to the Badminton Association of India.

Expressing happiness over his selection, Nikhil, ranked 49 in the World Ranking, said

Twentyfour-year-old Nikhil was the third Indian to get qualified for the Olympics as Aparna Popat and Abhinn Shyam Gupta have already made it to the big event.

All the three of the Indian badminton squad are undergoing training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) South Centre in the outskirts of the city. — UNI