Defending champion Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) entered the semifinals of the both men’s and women’s team championships in the 70th inter-State badminton championship at DRRMC stadium here on Saturday.
PSPB men outplayed Airports Authority of India 3-0 while its women’s team got the better off Assam 2-0 to storm into the last four.
World championship bronze medallist P.V Sindhu defeated Ashmita Chalia without much ado 21-12, 21-12 while country’s doubles specialist duo G. Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa breezed past Rimi and Bornali 21-13, 21-13.
PSPB’s H.S. Prannoy had a flawed start losing his first game to Rohit Yadav 13-21. However, he ran up a commanding 7-0 lead in the second game and won it with ease. Sai Praneeth toyed with Chirag Shetty 21-8, 21-14 while Tarun and Arun Vishnu defeated their rivals with out much sweat.
Air India, Kerala and Maharashtra are the other teams made it to the semifinals in the men’s section while in the women’s section AAI, Maharashtra and Telangana sailed through to the last four.
The results: Team Championship:
Rahimtoola Cup for men: (Quarterfinals): PSPB bt Airport Authority of India 3-0 (H.S. Prannoy bt Rohit Yadav 13-21, 21-7, 21-14; Sai Praneeth bt Chirag Shetty 21-8, 21-14; Tarun & Arun Vishnu bt K. Nanda Gopal & Manu Attri 21-17, 21-13).
Kerala bt Assam 2-1 (Aneesh bt Hirak 16-21, 20-22; Alwin bt Ranjan 21-11, 21-12, Sanave Thomas & Rupesh Kumar bt Hirak & Dibyajyoti 21-13, 21-10).
Air India bt AP 3-0 (Harsheel bt Vikas 21-12, 21-9; Sameer Verma bt Chaitanya 21-9, 21-5; Sanyam & Shlok Ramachandran bt Venkatesh & Chaitanya 21-14, 21-18).
Maharashtra bt Haryana 3-1 (Subhankar bt Ketan 16-21, 21-12, 21-14; Kabir bt Ankit Mallik 22-20, 21-13; Kabir & Akshay lost to Ketan & Saurabh 11-21, 6-12 (retd.); Nigel D' Sa bt Kartik Jindal 21-15, 21-15).
1st round : Maharashtra bt Uttar Pradesh 3-2 (Subhankar bt Arshalan 21-15, 20-22, 21-17; Kabir lost to Ansal 18-21, 21-18, 8-21, Kabir & Akshay bt Shivam & Ravindra 23-21, 21-12; Nigel D’Sa lost to Shivam 14-21, 19-21, Prasad Shetty & Abhidya bt Vinay & Ansal 22-20, 24-26, 22-20).
Chadha Cup for Women: (Quarterfinals): PSPB bt Assam 2-0 (P.V. Sindhu bt Ashmita Chalia 21-12, 21-12, Jwala Gutta & Ashwini Ponnappa bt Rimi Hazarika & Bornali Konwar 21-13, 21-13.
Airports Authority of India bt Haryana 2-0 (Rasika Raje bt Ekata Kalia 21-5, 21-11, Sikki Reddy & Pradnya Gadra bt Komal Antil & Lalita Dahiya 21-8, 21-7.
Maharashtra bt AP 2-0 (Neha Pandit bt Sai Uttejitha Rao Ch. 21-12 21-15, Mudra & Shruti bt Sudha Kalyani & Sonika Sai 21-16, 21-18).
Telangana bt Air India 2-1 (Rituparna Das bt Sayali Gokhale 21-10, 19-21, 21-14; Meghana & Rituparna Das lost to Sanyogita & Saili Rane 21-15, 23-25, 12-21; Ruthvika Shivani bt Saili Rane 21-14, 16-21, 22-20.
1st round: Maharashtra bt Uttar Pradesh 2-0 (Neha bt Riya 21-11, 21-11, Mudra & Manasi bt Riya & Sara Naqvi 21-18, 21-18.