National Badminton Championships 2024: M Raghu, Devika Sihag win singles titles
Junior national champions Sanskar Saraswat and Arsh Mohammad won the men’s doubles crown in Bengaluru.
Badminton
M Raghu and Devika Sihag were crowned the men’s and women’s singles champions, respectively, at the senior National Badminton Championships 2024, which concluded in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Raghu saved three match points in the decider to beat former champion Mithun Manjunath 14-21, 21-14, 24-22 in the men’s singles final which lasted just under an hour.
The Karnataka-based shuttler had earlier upset top seed Sathish Kumar in the semi-finals en route to his maiden national badminton title. In the quarters, Raghu got the better of Rithvik Sanjeevi, who was responsible for ending Chirag Sen’s title defence in the third round.
During Tuesday’s final, Mithun, who won the title two editions ago, was first off the blocks as he clinched the opening game rather easily. Raghu, however, forced a decider by racing through the second game.
It was Raghu’s control during the net exchanges that made the difference as he forced his way back from 15-19 to level the score at 19-19.
Meanwhile, Devika Sihag ended Shriyanshi Valishetty’s giant-killing spree and comfortably won the women’s singles final by a 21-15, 21-16 scoreline. Sihag was in control throughout the contest.
Valishetty, seeded 12th, had knocked out last year’s champion Anmol Kharb in the pre-quarterfinals before accounting for Tasnim Mir in the final eight. Devika was the 13th seed in the tournament.
Junior national champions Arsh Mohammad and Sanskar Saraswat added the senior national title to their trophy cabinet as they upset top seeds Naveen P and Lokesh V 12-21, 21-12, 19-21 in the men’s doubles final.
Ayush Agarwal and Shruti Mishra bagged the mixed doubles crown while Arathi Sara Sunil and Varshini VS won the women’s doubles final.
National Badminton Championships 2024 winners
- Men’s singles: M Raghu
- Women’s singles: Devika Sihag
- Men’s doubles: Sanskar Saraswat and Arsh Mohammad
- Women’s doubles: Arathi Sara Sunil and Varshini VS
- Mixed doubles: Ayush Agarwal and Shruti Mishra