Sport - Badminton

Nationals from January 3

Bangalore: The Canara Bank National badminton championship will feature a bevy of leading players ranging from P. Gopi Chand, on a comeback trail, to Saina Nehwal, keen to thwart Aparna Popat's attempt to win the women's singles title for the ninth successive year. The championship, that will be held at the KBA Courts here from January 3 to 11, will also be a nostalgic moment for old-timers as the tournament returns to Karnataka after 43 years.

The championship was last held here in 1962. And nostalgia did reign high as Prakash Padukone said, "It is a moment to remember for me as my father Ramesh Padukone, the then secretary of the Mysore State Badminton Association, was associated with the event and I also had my initiation into badminton." Padukone was talking to the media at a tournament launch press conference that was also graced by officials from main sponsor Canara Bank and co-sponsors ING Vysya Bank, Vijaya Bank and Garden City College.

Padukone's firm — the Padukone Sports Management — is organising the tournament on behalf of the Karnataka Badminton Association. Padukone said that more than 300 players and 60 officials will participate in the tournament that will be preceded by the Inter-Zonal Rahimtoola Cup for men and the Chaddha Cup for women.

The National Championship's matches will be played on eight synthetic courts out of the ten available at the KBA. — Sports Reporter

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