A first: Chandigarh to host cash prize north zone badminton tourney

For the first time, the Chandigarh Badminton Association (CBA) will host a north zone cash prize tournament here. The event named, North Zone Open Cash Prize Badminton (Boys and Girls) Tournament, will be played at the Centre of Excellence for Badminton, Sector 38 Sports Complex, from July 11 to 13.

The championship will be open for the players of Under-11, 13, 15 and 17 age group. This event has also been approved by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

While a player will be allowed to participate in only two events, the winners of each age group will be awarded Rs 7,000; Rs 5,000; Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,000 for claiming first three positions, respectively. The championship will be organised in only singles category.

The players born on or after January 1, 2015, will be eligible to participate in the Under-11 age group, while those born or on after January 1, 2013 will play in the Under-13 group. The shuttlers born on or after January 1, 2011, will be allowed to play in the Under-15 category, and the players born on or after January 1, 2009, will be allowed to participate in the Under-17 age group.

The entries will be open till July 5, at the tournament venue.

“The primary objective of this tournament is to provide an opportunity to the budding players of the northern region to compete and get a good exposure at the zonal level. We are also offering some cash incentives to attract young players, promote badminton and to motivate them to give out their best performances,” said Surinder Mahajan, Senior Vice President (Administration), CBA.

The CBA had last hosted a major event, Yonex Sunrise All-India Junior U-19 Ranking Badminton Tournament at the same venue in June 2023. Previously, it had held many national and zonal events, including masters’ championships, but this cash prize event will be held for the first time.

“We have been working for the benefit of local shuttlers for many years now, and this year, we thought of bringing the region’s talent under one roof. We will also try to make this event an annual affair, so that the local players can also get a good exposure and get prepared for major tournaments,” added Col Raj Parmar, Senior Vice-President (Technical & Events), CBA.

The organisers have confirmed participation by some of the region’s top seed players in this event.

Chandigarh