Date:31/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/01/31/stories/2005013106922000.htm

Sport - Badminton

PSPB shuttlers set to dominate

By S. Sabanayakan

JAMSHEDPUR, JAN. 30. The country's biggest badminton show, the 69th senior National championship, will commence here at the Mohun Ahuja Stadium from Monday. On the eve of the week-long championship, shuttlers from Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) look set to dominate the proceedings. Team champions in both the men's and women's groups, PSPB swept all five titles in the individual sections in the last National held at Hyderabad. This equation is not expected to change in this championship whose qualifying rounds began on Friday.

The steel city, which was expecting the best player in the country, Pullela Gopichand, to play in the tournament, could be in for a disappointment as the former all-England champion expressed his inability to participate in the individual section a few days ago. However, Gopichand is expected to turn out for his team within the first two days when the team championship will be decided. The individual competition will be played from February 2 to 6.

The National has attracted almost all of the top-ranking players. Reigning National men's champion, B. Chetan Anand, won the prize money ranking meet held here last month, beating Arvind Bhat. Both Anand's and Bhat's consistent form in the run-up to this championship could see a repeat of last year's final.

But the road to success will not be as easy as it looks. There are many proven campaigners vying for the top honour. Apart from Bhat, currently leading the National ranking with 1,821 points, Anup Sridhar, Nikhil Kanetkar, J.B.S. Vidyadhar, former champion Abhinn Shyam Gupta, Sachin Ratti and Utsav Mishra are a few names that readily comes to mind. In the women's side, Aparna Popat, gunning for her eighth straight National crown, will be the one to beat. Neither Trupti Murgunde, heading the current ranking with 1,990.90 points, nor B.R. Meenakshi can be a threat to the 27-year-old National champion, unless they lift their game to new heights.

As many as five standard courts will be used for the championship. The two new courts that have come up on the adjacent plot have enhanced the ability of this town to even bid for international events in future.