‘Khelo India’ a new initiative of Union ministry of youth affairs and sports, is all set to kick start from Thursday. Over 10,000 athletes from 29 states will display their skills and agility at the event. The tournament will continue till January 20 and Pune’s Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex is all geared up to host this melody of emotions. While there is a lot of buzz about this mega event among the youth, this event is a strong contender to set a benchmark in encouraging youth to participate in sporting and fitness activities.
Sports being one of the core qualities of many children, the event’s motto #Bas5MinAur subtlety touches everyone’s heart. Nagpur is proving to be a powerhouse for sports, especially badminton. The trio of Livia Fernandez second-seeded Malvika Bansod and the current all India leader Rohan Gurbani is determined to make this city proud as the three will feature in Khelo India.
  
Badminton has been the heart of Nagpur since few years as Nagpur District Badminton Association has been making continuous efforts to promote the game by organizing various tournaments and giving numerous facilities to young lads. Nagpur has booming opportunities for badminton with over 25 courts and a number of renowned coaches. In recent years, names like Vaishnavi Bhale, Rashi Lambe, Sourabh Kerhalkar, Ritika Thakkar have made Nagpur proud by carrying their local identities to international level. The recently concluded Vidarbha open sub-junior and Masters Badminton Tournament 2019 witnessed some extravagant action as locals left no stone unturned to leave their mark.
Aasavari Khanedkar emerged as the performer of the tournament (girls) as she defeated Pinak Rokde in the semi-final and the duo Nikita Joseph and Aasavari Khanedkar beat Pinak Rokde and Nehal Gosavi in the finals of GD U-15. Arnav Arya with his stupendous performance also created a benchmark in this tournament.
With so much buzz about badminton in the city, many shuttlers have started their preparations for upcoming calendar year tournaments. Nagpur is home to some of the finest shuttlers and indeed it is a pillar of national hope when it comes to this discipline. So, it’s a moment of pride for Nagpur as the city’s name is flying high in the sky.