PNB METLIFE JUNIOR BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIP SETS WORLD RECORD

· Junior Badminton Championship season 6 witnessed the highest-ever pool of 8000+ participants from across 12 states with 118 champions crowned as champions

· Delhi Chapter closed on a high with 10 winners across 5 categories in the boys’ and girls’ groups

India, October 12, 2022: The World Record Certification Agency (WRCA) has recognized PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship for creating a World Record for “Most Kids Participating in a Badminton Championship in Multiple Cities.” The announcement came after WRCA authenticated the information for Junior Badminton Championship, which was held from August – October 2022 across 12 states in India, with 8031 participants.

The final leg of the sixth edition of the ‘PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship (JBC) 2022’ culminated at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium with the crowning of 10 Badminton champions across 5 categories for the Delhi chapter of JBC. In addition to these winners, PNB MetLife also awarded runners-up and the top two semi-finalists for each category both in the boys’ and girls’ groups.

Over 850 skilled shuttlers from across Delhi impressed the audience with their performance. In the Girls Singles U-17 category, Angelina Valsan defeated Tiya Dabas with a score of 15-11, 10-15, 15-14. In the Boys Singles U-17 category, Daksh Mathur defeated Devang Tomar with a score of 15-11, 15-14.

The increasing popularity of the Junior Badminton Championship by PNB MetLife is taking badminton to a wider audience and encouraging participation in this Olympic sport. Two-time Olympic Medallist and brand ambassador of PNB MetLife, P.V. Sindhu graced the event as the Chief Guest along with Guest of Honour, Dr. Ameeta Sinh, President of Delhi Capital Badminton Association and Ashish Kumar Srivastava, MD & CEO, PNB MetLife Insurance. In the previous editions, badminton legends, Prakash Padukone, Sania Nehwal and Ashwini Ponappa have felicitated the winners.

To tap a large talent pool this year, JBC spanned 12 cities— Mumbai, Bangalore, Surat, Lucknow, Ranchi, Indore, Chandigarh, Thrissur, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Guwahati, and Delhi. A total of 118 young shuttlers have been named winners in the tournament that commenced in August 2022 across the five categories: U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15 and U-17.

Mr. Ashish Srivastava, MD & CEO, PNB MetLife said, “I’m delighted that PNB MetLife JBC has set the world record for Most Kids Participating in a Badminton Championship in Multiple Cities. At PNB MetLife, enabling and promoting physical and fiscal fitness are two dimensions of our purpose: Karo Bade Sapno Ki Tayyari. Through JBC, we encourage everyone to aim for a healthy way of living and by seeding this thought at a younger age, we aim to build a healthier and more aware nation. We are certain that the experience of playing the sport at this level of competition and learning from every win and every loss will help build character and will be key to enabling young enthusiasts to become the badminton champions of tomorrow. I congratulate the winners of all the 12 states where JBC 2022 was conducted and wish all the participants a bright future in the sport.”

PV Sindhu, two-time Olympic Medallist and Brand Ambassador, PNB MetLife, said, “I am glad to see that the PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship is gaining in popularity, which is evident from the World Record they have set for Most Kids Participating in a Badminton Championship in Multiple Cities. The young shuttlers’ enthusiastic excitement for gameplay, skill and zeal exemplifies the range of talent India possesses. It has been a great honour for me to be associated with PNB MetLife, which has created an incredible platform like Junior Badminton Championship for young enthusiasts and bolsters their confidence for the future. These talented Badminton players have a long road ahead of them, and I wish them all the best in all their future endeavours. I congratulate everyone who took part and a special mention to their parents and coaches, who have always been there for them and encouraged them to follow their dreams.”

Score Card of Winners of All Categories Delhi Open

Category

Winner

Runner Up

Score of Final Match

GS U9

Jigyasa Bhasin

Bhumi Dahiya

15-8, 15-8

BS U9

Arpit Baliyan

Prithvi Raj Singh

12-15, 15-10, 15-4

GS U11

Gia Sharma

Sandhaya Kataria

21-15, 21-16

BS U11

Harshit Khatri

Arjun Singh Raghav

21-8, 21-15

GS U13

Ashtami Rawat

Mehak Poonia

15-13, 7-15, 15-12

BS U13

Shashwat Chaudhary

Vivaan Bisht

15-9, 15-10

GS U15

Prasidhdhi Gupta

Yadav S

15-4, 15-7

BS U15

Priyansh

Prince

15-8, 15-5

GS U17

Angelina Valsan

Tiya Dabas

15-11, 10-15, 15-14

BS U17

Daksh Mathur

Devang Tomar

15-11, 15-14