NBA to host WBF International Badminton Series next month

Kathmandu, November 27

Nepal Badminton Association is organising the Nepal BWF International Series here at the National Sports Council covered hall from December 13-17.

This is the first international competition organised by the NBA in eight years since it hosted similar tournament in 2008. A total of 94 shuttlers from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Maldives, Vietnam, Malaysia, Iran, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Syria will compete in the tournament that features five events — men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, informed the organisers at a press meet today.

The singles events for men and women will see 32 and 23 players respectively, while 14 pairs will compete in men’s doubles, 12 pairs in the women’s doubles and 13 pairs in the mixed doubles categories. Nepal will field a total of 22 players, 12 in men’s section and 10 in women’s events.

The Nepali team is hopeful of winning medal in the tournament. “We have been participating in international tournaments on regular basis and the players have also performing good off late,” said NBA President Ramji Bahadur Shrestha. Tamang siblings of Nangshal Devi and Ratnajit won the mixed doubles gold medal in the Yonex Sunrise Pakistan International Series last month. “Badminton is gaining popularity day by day in Nepal and it is the second most played game after football. With this popularity, Nepal Badminton Association has formed associations in 41 districts and is targeting to associate with 60 districts in coming future. And, this time NBA is delighted to host an International Series with top ranked players from 13 countries,” Shrestha added.

The tournament carries a total cash purse of $6,000 and the organisers have estimated a budget of four million rupees for the event. “We are hopeful that corporate sectors will come forward and support the tournament. We are in talks with a couple of companies including Nepal Telecom, Sunrise Bank, Samsung and Yonex and they are positive towards sponsoring the event. Apart from that, we have financial support from National Sports Council and Nepal Olympic Committee,” Shrestha added.

Nepali squad

Men’s Singles: Ratnajit Tamang, Sajan Krishna Tamrakar, Dipesh Dhami, Sudeep Sedai, Deepak Bohara, Bijeet Thapa Magar, Sanjeev Khadka, Bhugol Gurung, Suman Limbu, Josef Adhikari.

Women’s Singles: Nangsal Tamang, Amita Giri, Sichhya Shrestha, Anu Maya Rai, Jessic Gurung, Sunaina Mukhiya, Shova Gauchan, Poonam Gurung, Megha Chand.

Men’s Doubles: Ratnajit Tamang, Bishnu Katwal, Sajan Krishna Tamrakar, Deepak Bohara, Josef Adhikari, Dipesh Dhami, Bijeet Thapa Magar, Sudeep Sedai, Bhugol Gurung, Suma Limbu.

Women’s Doubles: Nangsal Tamang, Amita Giri, Jessica Gurung, Anu Maya Rai, Megha Chand, Pooja Shrestha, Sichhya, Shrestha, Poonam Gurung, Shova Gauchan, Sunaina Mukhiya.

Mixed Doubles: Rantajit Tamang/Nangsal Tamang, Bijeet Thapa Magar/Sichhya Shrestha, Bishnu Katwal/Amita Giri, Dipesh Dhami/Pooja Shrestha.