50th Mohan Memorial Badminton Tournament begins today, Para-Badminton Champion Manasi Joshi to visit Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, Sept 2: Golden Jubilee Mohan Memorial Badminton Tournament will be held from September 3 to September 8 at Mohan Ahuja Stadium. The tournament which is being held for the 50 years will see participation of 250 players representing 20 affiliated districts including Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, East and West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Lohardaga, Gumla, Palamau, Deoghar, Dumka said K Prabhakar Rao, secretary of Jharkhand badminton Association (JBA).

Addressing a press meet at Mohan Ahuja Stadium on Sunday evening, Rao informed that altogether 500 matches will be played and this tournament will decide the participants for Jharkhand team for the upcoming East Zone Badminton Championship to be held at Uttarakhand’s Almora later this month. Only senior and under- 19 players will attend the East Zone tournament. 

K Prabhakar Rao who is also the joint secretary of Badminton Association of India (BAI) further said, for the very first time in this championship two rules of Badminton Association of India will be followed. “Those players who have identity card issued by BAI will attend the championship. Qualifying rounds will be conducted after which players will qualify for the super draw and main draw”, Rao added.

The tournament is open for boys and girls under-13, 15, 17, 19 and senior category (men and women).   

JBA secretary went on to add new logo of Jharkhand badminton Association will be launched to mark tournament’s golden jubilee on the day of inauguration. The same logo will be handed over to all the participants. 

The official also informed that to mark the golden jubilee of the Mohan Memorial Badminton Tournament Jharkhand Badminton Association has invited Para Badminton Champion Manasi Joshi to Jamshedpur. She was invited on the opening day of tournament but due unavoidable circumstances she won’t be present on September 3 but will be visiting on any of the day during the tournament which will continue till September 8.

 It may be noted that Para badminton star Manasi Joshi created history by securing a gold at the World Championships last month.

She emerged victorious against experienced compatriot Parul Parmer in the women�s singles SL3 final.

After losing her left leg in an accident in 2011, Manasi took up badminton as a way to stay fit. Although she started playing the sport at a young age, it was not something that she perceived as a profession. She was working as a software engineer and badminton became her way of staying fit despite sitting at the desk every day.

Also present at the press conference were East Singhbhum district Badminton Association’s Rupesh Katiyar, R Rai, Brajesh Singh and others.