Format change in National badminton championship

Each tie will now have a match each of men singles, women singles, men doubles, women doubles and mixed doubles. This has been done to underscore the role of doubles – three matches in each tie – in keeping with the format followed in the Sudirman Cup.

Representational image.

The 71st edition of the team events in the National badminton championship, beginning here on Tuesday, is set to see a change of format.

Each tie will now have a match each of men singles, women singles, men doubles, women doubles and mixed doubles.

This has been done to underscore the role of doubles – three matches in each tie – in keeping with the format followed in the Sudirman Cup, the game’s premier team event.

The eight teams eligible to play are: winners from the six zones, the inter-institutional title-winner and the host.

As per the draw made on Monday evening, favourite Petroleum will face Maharashtra. Another quarterfinal match on Wednesday that promises to be interesting involves Institutional champion Airport Authority of India and East Zone winner Uttar Pradesh.

The event precedes the four-day individual championships, spread over five categories.

In the individual events, the Badminton Association of India has done away with the qualifying rounds.

With some of the top players chasing an Olympic berth going to Malaysia for this week’s super series (in search of ranking points) the National championship will be without the creamy layer of country’s badminton.

This edition was scheduled in January but was postponed to February to accommodate Premier Badminton League. Thereafter, the championship was pushed from February to this week owing the South Asian Games.

Mixed team championship:-

Quarterfinal-pairings: Haryana (North) v Chandigarh (Host), Petroleum (Central) v Maharashtra (West); Telangana (South) v Assam (North-East); UP (East) v Airport Authority of India (Institutional champion).