Pune, June 3 (IANS): Para-badminton player Aarti Patil made a bronze medal-winning return to the international circuit after a leg injury that had kept her out of action for months and she is now aiming for a top-10 ranking by August to be eligible to play Level 1 tournaments on the BWF circuit.

Patil, who had not played any international event since the BWF World Championship in Thailand in February, went down to compatriot Manisha Ramadass in the semifinals in the women’s SU5 category at the Bahrain Para-Badminton tournament on Saturday.

The runup to the semifinals helped Patil jump six spots to reach 14th rank in the world ranking but knows that she needs to climb even further.

“I need to be in the top-12 to play the Level BWF tournaments and that is my next target. But more importantly, I am focused on doing my best at the Asian Championship and next year’s World Championship and working towards that goal,” said Patil, who will be competing in the Uganda Para-Badminton Tournament in July.

The youngster, who hails from a village in the Belgavi district of Karnataka but currently trains in Pune, credited the support of the Punit Balan Group in easing the financial pressure on her.

“The cost of competing in these international tournaments have been increasing and it is only thanks to the financial assistance from the Punit Balan group that I could afford to play in the World Championship and this tournament. I am looking forward to playing in Uganda and changing the colour of my medal,” she added.

The Punit Balan Group has committed to supporting Aarti for three years and will be providing her complete support in her quest to win medals on the international stage.