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GD Birla Memorial: Pooja, Ajita Stun Top Seeds to Reach Badminton Finals

The semifinals of the GD Birla Memorial Masters Inter-Club Badminton Tournament witnessed major upsets, particularly in the women's singles 45+ category where both top seeds were defeated. Pooja Jhalani ousted top seed Priya Ambekar, while Ajita Ravindran overcame second seed Namita Mehta-Vijayakar to set up their final clash. Seeded pairs also fell in the Men's Doubles 110+ and Mixed Doubles 80+ events, with Shailesh Daga and Aparna Popat among the casualties. Shailesh Daga did recover to win his men's doubles semifinal with partner Gautam Lad, as the tournament action is set to resume for the finals on Thursday.

Key Points: Upsets Galore at GD Birla Memorial Badminton Semifinals

  • Women's top seeds ousted
  • Major upsets across doubles events
  • Daga finds solace in men's doubles win
  • Action resumes Thursday for finals
2 min read

GD Birla Memorial Open: Pooja, Ajita make final with upset wins

Top seeds fall as Pooja Jhalani and Ajita Ravindran cause major upsets to reach the women's singles 45+ final at the GD Birla Memorial badminton tournament.

"It was doomsday for a majority of the seeded players in the semi-finals - Tournament Report"

Mumbai, April 14

It was doomsday for a majority of the seeded players in the semi-finals of the GD Birla Memorial Masters Inter-Cub Badminton Tournament, hosted by Bombay Gymkhana on Monday.

The top two seeds in the women's singles 45+, Priya Ambekar and Namita Mehta-Vijayakar, were shown the door, losing in contrasting fashion. While top seed Priya lost 6-21, 13-21 to Pooja Jhalani, second seed Namita put up a better fight before losing in three games, 14-21, 21-15, 11-21.

Seeded teams also lost out in the Men's Doubles 110+ and the Mixed Doubles 80+. In the mixed doubles, the top seed pairing of Shailesh Daga and former international Aparna Popat were defeated by Sandeep Mohan and Tejasvi Sawant 21-14, 19-21, 21-9. There was heartbreak for the second seeds too as Shiv Thakur and Naheed Divecha were beaten by Hemant Duggal and Shweta Thakur 21-12, 21-16.

There was solace for Daga, however, who won the men's doubles 110+, paired with Gautam Lad. The duo seeded first, defeated Anis Badami and Vipool Patel 21-18, 21-8 to make the title round.

Action will now resume on Thursday.

Women's Singles 45+

Semifinals: Pooja Jhalani beat Priya Ambekar [1] 21-16, 21-13; Ajita Ravindran beat Namita Mehta-Vijayakar [2] 21-14, 15-21, 21-11.

Men's Singles 45+

Semifinals: Sachin Bharati [1] beat Dhirendra Maurya 21-8, 21-13; Vikrant Karanjkar beat Kaushik Vartak 15-21, 21-15, 21-14

Men's Doubles 110+

Semifinals: Gautam Laud and Shailesh Daga [1] beat Anis Badami and Vipool Patel 21-18, 21-8; Bibhash Chatterjee and Shiv Thakur beat Balakishna and Rajesh D Souza [2] 22-20, 21-9.

Mixed Doubles 80+

Semifinals: Sandeep Mohan/Tejasvi Sawant Desai beat Shailesh Daga/Aparna Popat [1] 21-14, 19-21, 21-9; Hemant Duggal/Shweta Thakur beat Shiv Thakur/Naheed Divecha [2] 21-12, 21-16.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a badminton enthusiast, I love seeing these upsets. It makes the tournament so much more exciting. Hats off to Sandeep Mohan and Tejasvi Sawant for taking down a pair with a former international player. That's a huge confidence booster!
A
Ananya R
Heartbreak for Priya and Namita, but kudos to Pooja and Ajita for making the final. The women's 45+ category seems fiercely competitive. It's inspiring to see such high-level sport being played. Wishing all the finalists the best for Thursday!
V
Vikram M
Shailesh Daga had a mixed day – a loss in mixed doubles but a solid win in men's doubles with Gautam Lad. That's the nature of sports. You win some, you lose some. Respect for all the players giving their best at this age. True passion.
K
Karthik V
While the upsets are thrilling, I hope the tournament organizers ensure proper coverage and streaming for the finals. These veteran players are legends of the game and deserve a bigger platform. The GD Birla Memorial is a prestigious event.
M
Meera T
Amazing to see Aparna Popat still competing! She was a star in my childhood. Even though she lost, it's wonderful that former pros are active and promoting the sport at the grassroots and veteran levels. More power to all participants! 🇮🇳

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