Date:31/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/31/stories/2007053106812000.htm

Sport - Badminton

Junior ranking tournament from June 1

KOCHI: The Indian Oil Servo seventh RSC all-India junior ranking badminton tournament will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium here from June 1 to 6.

Competitions will be held in 17 events, under four age groups (under-19, 16, 13 and under-10), and 1,200 players will be seen in action.

"Since the Indian team for the forthcoming junior Asian championship in Malaysia will be picked from this event, the selection committee members, including Pullela Gopi Chand, Ami Ghia, Madhumita Bisht and Dinesh Khanna will be in Kochi during the tournament," said the Ernakulam District Collector, A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, who is also the Chairman of the Regional Sports Centre, the tournament host.

The qualifying rounds will be held on June 1 and 2, while the main round fixtures will start on June 3.

The tournament, which has Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. as the main sponsor and Mather Group as the co-sponsor, carries a prize fund of Rs. 2 lakhs, and will be played on 10 wooden courts. — Principal Correspondent