Sandhya Melasheemi, Mahesh Pauskar and Kishore Raghubans kept alive Goa’s hopes to secure medals, battling their way to march into the quarter-finals of the Yonex-Sunrise 45th Indian Masters National Badminton Championships 2022-23, in progress at South Goa.
In the Women’s Doubles 35+ age group Pre-Quarterfinals, Sandhya Melasheemi, GOA, and Sangeetha MARI, KTK, defeated Prabinu Kabra, MP, and Aditi Rode (2), MAH, 21-12 21-19 to progress to the Quarters. In the Men’s Doubles 50+ age group Pre-Quarterfinals, Mahesh Pauskar and Kishore Raghubans (2), GOA, defeated Raja Kumar G. and Ravi Kiran, TS, 21-12 14-21 21-17 to move to the quarter-finals.
Former Goa State champions Pankaj Naik and Sandip Kanji too had good outings, but went down in the Round of 16. Pankaj upset Rudra Kaushik, RBI, 21-17 12-21 21-18 in the morning session, but eventually losing to Hardik Parikh, CAG, by a 21-5 21-5 score line. Sandip Kanji (11), GOA, won his Round of 32 match against Devkumar Paikra, CG, 20-22 24-22 21-19 but thereafter went down fighting to Sanjoy DAS (7), RBI, in the pre quarters.
In other significant prequarter-finals results of the day featuring India’s former star players in action, Aneesh K. A., KER, and Vijay Lancy, KTK, defeated Sameer Abbasi and Jitendra Yadav, GUJ, 21-10 21-10 in Men’s Doubles 45+ category. In Men’s Doubles 40+, Vidyadhar J. B. S., AP, and Sanave Thomas, KER, defeated Sunil Gladson and Abhinand Shetty, KTK, 22-20 21-18. Peeyush Aggarwal (1), HAR, defeated Lalbiaksanga R., MIZ, 21-16 21-11 in Men’s Singles 35+ while Manali Sinha (1), ASM, defeated Rucha Joshi, PNB, 21-5 21-8 in Women’s Singles 35+ category. Abhinand Shetty and Sangeetha Mari, KTK, defeated Nigel D’SA and Ramya Venkat, MAH, 21-7 21-9 in Mixed Doubles 35+ category and Raghavan P., KTK, and Prabinu Kabra, MP, defeated Srinath J. R. and Shivapriya Shenoi (2), KTK, 21-15 21-14 in Mixed Doubles 35+ category.