By Shekar Ajekar
Daijiworld Media Network—Moodbidri (RD/CN)
Moodbidri, Feb 2: Preparations are in full swing for the All India Inter-Varsity Men’s Ball Badminton Championship to be held from Wednesday February 3 to Sunday February 7 at Swarajya Maidan. It is being organized in association with Mangalore University and Alva’s Education Foundation.
“Karnataka’s first Ekalavya Award winning ball badminton player Mohammed Ilyas will inaugurate the tournament to be held on six courts on the basis of knock-out cum league. Preparations are in progress to host the tourney in an organized manner”, said Dr M Mohan Alva, president, Alva’s Education Foundation.
Dr Alva was speaking at a press meet here on Monday February 1.
Addressing media persons, he said that 650 players from 65 universities all over the country along with 120 trainers will take part in the tourney.
The knock-out will be held upto quarter-final and semi-final on league model. Madras University hosted the tournament in 2009 and Annamalai University of Tamil Nadu bagged the championship with Acharya Nagarjun University of Andhra Pradesh as runners-up and Mangalore University coming in third.
Training:
The training has been organized under the leadership of Mangalore University’s team captain Pavan for the tourney this year. Arjun Award winner ball badminton player Pcchayya from Andhra Pradesh will present the championship trophy during the concluding ceremony to be held on Sunday.
“Alva’s Education Foundation has been continuously promoting education, literature, sports and arts by organizing the Yekalavya sports meet, Alva’s Virasat, Alva’s Nudi Siri and many national-level programmes over many years. The Foundation has the credit of its players bringing laurels at the state and national-level tournaments”, said Dr Alva.
Highlights:
• All teams are expected to arrive by Tuesday February 6.
• The preparations on the six courts for the tourney and one for practice are in the last stages.
• The key players to watch out for are J Shankar and Kiran Kumar of Mangalore University (Alva’s).
• Sambha of Nagarjuna University, Andhra Pradesh, Madan and Vengal Rao of S R M University, Chennai, Sukesh and Madhu of Osmaniya University, Hyderabad, and Krishnakanth of Sri Krishna Devaraya University, Ananthapura are the others.
• Eight national umpires including top umpires Ghouse Sharief and Nagabhushan will be the referees of the tourney.
• The winners will be awarded prizes in the name of M K Anantharaj by Dr Alva.
• The quarter final will be held on the morning of Saturday February 6 while Saturday afternoon onwards the league level semi-final and finals will be held.