BAI on over-aged shuttlers

Over-aged players will be banned for 2 years:

Guwahati, Dec 5: Badminton Association of India (BAI) has decided to take stern action against those players who were found guilty of over-age.

The decision was taken in the annual general meeting of the BAI held in a city hotel at Guwahati on Wednesday.

Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the India International Challenge Badminton Tournament, the president of the BAI VK Verma said, ‘’Every time players’ over-age created a problem for us and that’s why we have decided to take strict action against those found guilty of over-age from now onwards.’’

“From now onwards players who enter the quarter-final stage of sub-junior and junior nationals will have to undergo mandatory age proof test and anyone found over-aged will be banned for two years immediately,” said Verma.

He also said that the case will be referred to the police if a player, who has been banned for over-age, wanted to prove his age through birth certificate or passport and the police would investigate the matter.

Verma is fully satisfied with the way the Assam Badminton Association has organized the first international badminton meet in Guwahati.

Replying to a query he said: “Everything was arranged in the best possible way and from our side we don’t have any complaint”.

The Assam Badminton Association is planning to bid two major international meets -- Thomas and Uber Cups -- and Verma has assured that BAI has no problem with Assam Badminton Association bidding for the two prestigious tournaments.

Source: The Sentinel

International Challenge Badminton Championship

Gogoi to inaugurate badminton meet:

Guwahati, Dec 1: The India International Challenge Badminton Championship will get under way on Monday at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will inaugurate the tournament in the afternoon.

Assam Badminton Association Secretary Omar Rashid said the matches, however, will start from the morning.

According to the schedule, the tournament was supposed to begin with the qualifying round on Sunday. But as no entry for the qualifying round was received by the organisers, there will be no matches on Sunday.

It is for the first time any international badminton tournament will be held in the city and around 100 participants from ten countries will take part in the championship.

Source: The Sentinel

International badminton tournament in Guwahati

Shuttlers to reach city from Friday for India Challenge Badminton:

Guwahati, Nov 28: The first batch of the shuttlers taking part in the India Challenge Badminton Tournament which will get under way at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor stadium from December 2 will arrive in the city on Friday.

Around 100 participants are expected to take part in the meet.

It is for the first time that the Assam Badminton Association is hosting any international meet and the preparation is going on full swing.

Altogether four courts would be used during the tournament and the laying of courts is in the final stage.

Players, particularly those representing India from Asom, would start their practice sessions in the stadium from tomorrow.

Apart from host India, the other countries that will take part in the championship include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal and a few others.

Among the top Indian players who are likely to be seen in action in the meet include the top-ranked Chetan Anand and Saina Nahwal. However, the organisers are yet to get the confirmation from Saina as she is playing another tournament abroad (Lost in the first round in Hong Kong Super Series on Wednesday -- my addition).

Source: The Sentinel